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Do You See Who He Is? · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise.
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We're going to sing in Psalm 93 on the Scottish Psalter.
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Psalm 93, the whole of Psalm, page 354.
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The tune is Irish.
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The Lord doth reign and clothed is he with majesty most bright,
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his works to show him clothed to be and girt about with might.
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So we'll sing the whole of this Psalm to God's praise.
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The Lord doth reign and clothed is he with majesty most bright,
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his works to show him clothed to be
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and girt about with might.
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The world is all so established that it cannot depart.
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Thy throne is fixed of hope and love from everlasting heart.
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The floods, O Lord, have lifted up, they lifted up their voice.
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And made a mighty noise.
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But yet the Lord doth is on high,
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is more of might by far,
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than the noise of many waters is,
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our great sea bellows are.
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Thy testimonies, everyone,
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in faithfulness excel,
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and holiness forevermore,
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thy heart becouled as well.
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Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer.
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Let us pray.
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Our Father in heaven,
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as we gather in your name this day,
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we do thank you for your word.
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We thank you that we can read from it,
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that we can sing praise to you,
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that we can lift our voices up to you.
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And we have been reminded in the psalm that we have sung,
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that your voice is a mighty voice,
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greater than all the noise of the waters,
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the waves, the storms around us.
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We thank you that though we hear these things,
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that you are one who is more powerful
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and mightier than all of these things.
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And we pray today, Lord,
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that we will know your voice.
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As we read your word,
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we will see it as your word.
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As we hear it, Lord,
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that you would bless it to us all.
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We thank you that you speak to each and every one of us,
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the youngest to the oldest,
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that there are none of us who are left out of worship.
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There is none of us who are left out of this service.
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But we gather together as one
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to praise you as our Lord and as our God.
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And we ask, oh Lord,
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for your protection over us today.
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We especially think of the winds outside
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at this time and pray that as we come and go,
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that you will protect us and keep us.
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We thank you for all who are there to help us
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in these times as well.
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We pray for many who will be out and about
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in difficult conditions,
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even maybe at this time.
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Coast Guard Services,
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helping people in need,
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both on land and at sea,
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helping to protect us during these times.
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And we pray, Lord,
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your protection over them.
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We thank you, Lord,
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to be able to worship you this day,
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to be worshiping you in this place
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and with a peace to enjoy it.
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And we ask, oh Lord,
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that you would bless all that is done,
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both here and in the Sunday school
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and the tweenies and creche as well, Lord.
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Protect our young ones, Lord.
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Be with them each one.
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Be with us as families and friends
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and as a congregation together.
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May you hear all our prayers
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and watch over us in Jesus' name
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as we ask all of these things in his name
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for the pardon of our sins.
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Amen.
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It's good that there's a number of young people present,
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and I'm sure many others may be tuning in online as well.
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So I want to ask you a question.
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Any of the young people here,
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do you enjoy riddles?
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Trying to work out what a riddle is trying to say.
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A riddle is a number of words put together
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and they maybe don't make sense at first
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and you're just trying to work out
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what does it actually mean.
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So I want to share a riddle with you
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and see if you can work this one out.
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See what it's talking about.
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And the riddle goes like this.
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It says,
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you can't own it,
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but you can use it.
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You can't keep it,
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but you can spend it.
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Once you have lost it,
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you can never get it back.
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So that's the riddle.
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I wonder if anybody knows what it means.
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You can't own it,
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but you can use it.
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You can't keep it,
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but you can spend it.
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Once you have lost it,
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you can never get it back.
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Hands up if you know what the answer is.
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Don't want you to shout out the answer,
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but there's a few hands going up.
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Mostly adults though.
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Any of the young folks,
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do you know the answer?
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It's time.
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There's one upstairs there
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that's got the hand up,
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right up in the air.
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It's time.
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You can't own time,
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but you can use it.
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You can't keep it,
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but you can spend it.
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You can spend time
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on lots of different things.
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Once you've lost it,
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you can never get it back.
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So once the time has gone,
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you can never get it back.
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Time is free,
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but time is priceless.
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So important that we use
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our time wisely.
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What do you use most of your time on?
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Hands up if it's sleeping.
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I'm sure there's quite a few people
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who spend a lot of time sleeping.
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What about eating?
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Maybe not so much.
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What about sitting on your phone
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or tablet or watching television?
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Lots of time, I'm sure,
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spent there, is it?
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We all spend time
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doing lots of different things.
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But the Bible reminds us
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that just like the riddle there,
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trying to understand what it means,
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sometimes that's what the Bible
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can seem like to ourselves as well.
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It just seems like words
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that are brought together,
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sometimes they don't really make sense.
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But the Bible says in Psalm 90, verse 12,
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teach us to number our days
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that we may get a heart of wisdom.
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Now maybe that sounds like a riddle
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at first as well.
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Teach us to number our days
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so that we may get a heart of wisdom.
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What does that mean?
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Well, it means to use our time wisely,
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to number our days,
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to see that our days
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are soon going to go past,
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past in a blink.
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And once that time has passed,
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we can't get that time back.
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So time is precious.
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Time is important.
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And we need to number our days,
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which means we take account
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of all of our days.
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We can think of how many days
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have gone past.
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We can count them.
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How many days ahead?
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We don't know.
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We don't have the answer.
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So the Psalm says,
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get a heart of wisdom.
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Time teaches us that it's going to come
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to an end at some point.
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So it's important that we make
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the best use of our time,
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not wasting our time.
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There are things that we have to do,
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but we should always make time for God.
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Make time for his word.
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Make time for finding understanding
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of what he's saying to us in his word.
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Lord, teach us, Lord,
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to have a heart of wisdom,
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because that's what we need
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for every day,
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a heart to be wise with the Lord,
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to make the best use of our time
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before our time is past.
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So may God help us
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in all the time that we have
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to listen to him
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and to seek a heart of wisdom.
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We're going to say the Lord's prayer
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together now.
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Our Father, we chart 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
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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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the power and the glory forever.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Well, we're going to sing again
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to God's praise,
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this time in Psalm 32.
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Again, the Scottish Psalter version,
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Psalm 32,
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page 244 of the psalm books.
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Psalm 32,
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page 244.
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We're going to sing from verse 7
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down to verse 11.
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We're going to sing from verse 7 to 11
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on the tune of Spore.
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We stand to sing to God's praise.
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The Lord,
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O heart,
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my hiding place,
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thou shalt
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from trouble
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keep me free.
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thou wisdoms of deliverance,
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thou shalt comfort
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shall compass me.
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I will instruct thee
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and thee teach
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the way that thou shalt go.
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And when my eye upon thee set,
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I will direction show.
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Then be not like the hearts or mules
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which do not understand,
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whose powers as they come near to thee,
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a bridal must command.
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Come to the man that wicked is,
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his sorrows shall abound,
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but him that trusteth in the Lord,
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mercy shall come as crown.
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yea,
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yea,
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righteous in the Lord be glad,
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in him do ye rejoice,
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O ye that upright are in heart,
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for joy lift up your voice.
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Let us again come to God in prayer.
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Let us pray.
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Lord, our gracious God,
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as we approach your word,
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we thank you that as we open it up,
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that we come seeking your help
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to understand words
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that can sometimes seem like a riddle
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to ourselves.
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We thank you that you are able
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by your spirit to reveal to us
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the many promises and precious,
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precious promises that there are
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in your word.
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We thank you that you do not leave us
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to stumble around your word
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unable to understand,
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but that you provide so many things
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and methods to help us to understand.
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We thank you that we have the liberty
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and freedom to be under the preaching
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of the gospel.
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We thank you that we have your word
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in a language that we can understand.
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We thank you that in a day of technology,
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we have so many means to hear your word
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broken down for us,
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to hear it read to us,
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to hear it explained to us
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even what the very smallest of words
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might mean in it.
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We are a multitude of great hosts of things
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to help us to understand your word.
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But we know that the time that we have
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is precious and that we are to make
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the most of it.
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And we are so easily distracted from your word.
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We spend so much time maybe on other things.
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We can waste so much time as it is.
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But yet, Lord, we thank you that you are able
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to give us a spirit to hunger and thirst for your word,
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to hunger and thirst for righteousness,
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and to help us to see and understand
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all that you are teaching us through your word
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and how to apply it to our lives
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and to the world in which we live.
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For we can look around us and see so many troubles,
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even as in the Psalms that we have sung.
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There is trouble around the psalmist
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in so many different ways,
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and yet he is able to say that you are a hiding place for him,
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that you are a place of deliverance for him.
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And we thank you, Lord, that we know that for ourselves
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and so many of us.
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And we pray that together we would all come to know
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and experience that wonderful deliverance
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that you offer through your Son, Christ Jesus.
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that when we are blind and ignorant to you,
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that you are the one who is able to open our eyes
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and to help us to understand
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and to go on gaining understanding
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and sharing our understanding with others.
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And so we pray you'll bless our time together this day.
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We pray you'll watch over us in it,
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that you will guide us by your Spirit in all that we do
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and all that we say.
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That even as we offer up our prayers at this time together,
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the spoken prayer and the ones uttered from all our hearts,
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you know every prayer that we offer up at this time.
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It's not just one, but many.
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For many different people and situations,
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from many different hearts,
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we offer up our prayer to you.
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Hearts that are broken,
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hearts that may be full of joy,
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and yet hearts that can know the wonderful peace
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that you are able to give.
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And we ask, O Lord, that together as we pray,
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that you will remind us that when we come in faith,
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believing in you,
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reminding ourselves that you hear our every prayer
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through the name of Jesus Christ as we come,
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and that your answer, O Lord,
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though it may be different to what we ask for,
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we commit ourselves, Lord, to you who knows best,
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even the things that we do not understand
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or cannot comprehend, O Lord,
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help us to know your presence with us in these things as well,
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to know your grace in every aspect of our lives.
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And so we pray for your cause, Lord, near and far.
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We pray for your church,
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that you will build us up as a people here and far and wide,
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that you will look down upon us in your great mercy,
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that you will look down upon our world, O Lord, in mercy,
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that as we see so much turmoil around us,
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as we see so many things that we have no influence or control over,
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as we feel powerless in so many situations,
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yet, O Lord, remind us of the power that you have.
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Mightier than the voice of the waves is our Lord.
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And we thank you for that,
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that where there are storms of so many kinds,
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be they the natural storms we see around us,
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or the physical storms of life,
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the storms of war, famine, drought,
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earthquakes, volcanoes,
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all of these powerful elements that we see around us.
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We thank you that you are mightier than all,
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and that your voice is able to bring a stop to all of these things,
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to change all of these things.
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And yet, O Lord, in a world in which we live,
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we look to our own wisdom or wisdom of leaders,
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leaders who so often have no thought of you.
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And so we pray for them, Lord,
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that you will come,
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a mercy upon them and draw them to yourself,
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to see that any power they feel they have
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is nothing compared to yours,
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and that they would come to put their trust in you,
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whether that's leaders of our political,
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in political spheres,
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whether it's royalty,
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whether it's leaders in councils,
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or whether it's leaders in the church.
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We pray, Lord, for you to give us all wisdom,
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to give us help,
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to give us direction,
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to guide our people,
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to seek the good of our people,
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to seek your blessing upon us.
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And so we pray, Lord,
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that you will hear all of these prayers in your name.
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We pray for every home and family here
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and tuning in online as well.
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We thank you, Lord,
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that we are able to pray for one another
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in very different circumstances.
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We pray for those who mourn.
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We pray your comfort towards them.
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We pray for those who are unwell,
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whether it's at home or in hospital
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or in the care homes we see around us in the town here
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or further afield.
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We pray, Lord, your blessing on each one
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and families who are concerned for loved ones.
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We are able to bring our cares to you
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and we thank you for that.
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We pray, Lord, for your spirit to work around us, Lord,
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for those who are maybe well in health
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and yet spiritually dead,
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dead in their trespasses and sins,
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as your word describes.
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We pray, Lord, to bring life,
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to bring new life into their hearts
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and into their souls.
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We pray, Lord, that you will awaken us
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to our need of the Lord Jesus,
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that when we are stumbling and asleep in this world,
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we pray for you to awaken us,
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awaken us to our greatest need,
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the need of deliverance,
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the need of a savior,
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and to see of every provision that you have made,
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that you have provided for us through your son,
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who gave his life for his people,
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who rose again for our salvation,
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who ascended on high to the right hand of God
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and who will come again.
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We thank you for the hope of the gospel
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and we pray, Lord, that you will revive
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and stir up that hope in our hearts,
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that we will hold it as the dearest,
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most precious thing to us.
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Lord, look down upon us,
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continue with us this day,
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be with the preaching of your word
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into the evening as well, Lord,
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throughout your church today.
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May your name be glorified.
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May your people praise you
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and may sinners be brought to repentance.
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We ask all these things,
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looking to you as the one who is able to do
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so much more than we ask or imagine.
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And hear us in all our prayers,
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pardon us for all our sins
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as we confess them on you.
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And all we ask,
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we ask in the name of Jesus
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and for his glory.
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Amen.
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We're going to read God's word together now
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in the gospel of Mark.
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Mark chapter 8.
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Mark chapter 8.
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We'll take up our reading at verse 11.
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And we're reading down to verse 30.
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Mark chapter 8.
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Mark chapter 8 at verse 11.
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You notice at the beginning of the chapter,
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there's the account of Jesus feeding the 4,000.
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A second time when Jesus had miraculously fed a large crowd of people.
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And then following that, we take up our reading at verse 11.
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The Pharisees came and began to argue with him,
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seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
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And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said,
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why does this generation seek a sign?
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Truly I say to you,
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no sign will be given to this generation.
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And he left them, got into his boat again,
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and went to the other side.
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Now they had forgotten to bring bread.
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And they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
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And he cautioned them saying,
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watch out,
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beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.
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And they began to discuss with one another
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the fact that they had no bread.
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And Jesus, aware of this, said to them,
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why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?
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Do you not yet perceive or understand?
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Are your hearts hardened?
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Having eyes, do you not see?
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And having ears, do you not hear?
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And do you not remember?
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When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
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how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?
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They said to him, twelve.
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And he said to them,
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do you not yet understand?
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And they came to Bethsaida,
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and some people brought to him a blind man,
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and begged him to touch him.
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And he took the blind man by the hand,
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and led him out of the village.
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And when he had spat on his eyes,
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and laid his hands on him,
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he asked him,
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do you see anything?
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And he looked up and said,
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I see men, but they look like trees walking.
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Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again,
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and he opened his eyes.
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His sight was restored,
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and he saw everything clearly.
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And he sent him to his home,
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saying, do not even enter the village.
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And Jesus went on with his disciples
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to the village of Caesarea Philippi.
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And on the way,
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he asked his disciples,
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who do people say that I am?
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And they told him,
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John the Baptist,
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and others say Elijah,
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and others one of the prophets.
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And he asked them,
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but who do you say that I am?
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Peter answered him,
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you are the Christ.
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And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
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And so on.
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And may God bless that reading from his word.
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Before we turn back to look at this passage,
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we'll again sing to God's praise in Psalm 146.
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In the Sing Psalms version.
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Psalm 146.
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We'll sing from verse 5 down to verse 10.
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Page 191 of the psalm book.
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Psalm 146, verse 5,
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the tune of Sussex.
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Blessed is the one who truly looks for help to Jacob's God.
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Blessed is the one who places all his hope upon the Lord.
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And we see in verse 8 there,
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he says,
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to the blind the Lord gives sight.
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We'll sing these verses 5 to 10 to God's praise.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Blessed is the one who truly looks for help to Jacob's God.
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Blessed is the one who places all his hope upon the Lord.
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the Lord.
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He who made
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the earth and
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heaven and the seas
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with all their
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store,
28:03
he who keeps
28:06
his every
28:08
promise,
28:10
who is
28:11
faithful
28:12
evermore.
28:17
He delivers
28:19
from
28:21
oppression
28:23
and
28:25
releases the
28:27
hungry's
28:29
plight. He
28:31
releases
28:33
those
28:35
who prison
28:37
to the
28:39
blind the Lord
28:41
his sight.
28:45
Those
28:45
who up
28:48
the
28:48
down he
28:50
raises,
28:51
our
28:52
delights
28:53
in
28:55
righteousness.
28:58
He
28:59
protects
29:00
and cares
29:01
for
29:03
strangers,
29:05
waitrose
29:05
and the
29:08
fatherless.
29:09
he frustrates
29:13
the
29:16
wicked
29:17
purpose,
29:19
so the
29:21
Lord
29:22
who
29:22
endless
29:23
days
29:25
brings
29:26
to
29:27
heavenly
29:28
generation.
29:30
Praise
29:32
your
29:34
God,
29:35
those
29:36
high
29:37
on
29:37
praise.
29:48
We can
29:48
turn back to
29:49
our reading
29:50
in Mark's
29:51
Gospel,
29:51
chapter 8.
29:54
And we're
29:56
focusing on
29:56
most of what we
29:58
read, really,
29:59
but we're seeing
30:00
the account of
30:02
the man who was
30:02
blind, having
30:03
his sight
30:04
restored.
30:06
And the
30:07
question then
30:08
that comes
30:09
after that
30:10
as he's
30:10
speaking with
30:11
his disciples,
30:12
as he's
30:12
asking them,
30:13
you know,
30:13
who do people
30:14
say that I
30:15
am?
30:15
And then he
30:16
asks a great
30:16
question,
30:17
but what
30:17
about you?
30:18
Who do
30:19
you say
30:20
that I
30:20
am?
30:22
Who do
30:22
you say
30:24
that I
30:25
am?
30:26
We face
30:27
questions,
30:28
I'm sure,
30:29
every day.
30:30
We're asked
30:30
different
30:31
questions.
30:31
Some are
30:32
simple
30:32
questions that
30:33
are maybe
30:34
easier to
30:35
answer that
30:36
don't really
30:36
challenge us
30:37
deeply.
30:39
We are asked
30:39
questions maybe
30:40
very often during
30:41
the day,
30:41
what time is
30:42
it?
30:43
What do you
30:43
want for your
30:44
dinner?
30:45
These kinds of
30:46
everyday questions
30:47
that we hear
30:47
all the time.
30:49
But there may
30:50
be days when
30:51
we're caught
30:52
out by a
30:52
question,
30:54
when we're
30:54
asked a
30:55
question that
30:55
we hadn't
30:56
really expected
30:57
or anticipated,
30:58
we'd perhaps
30:59
never really
31:00
thought about it
31:00
before, but
31:01
we're challenged
31:02
by it and
31:03
we wonder
31:03
what kind
31:04
of answer
31:04
should we
31:06
give?
31:07
Somebody might
31:07
come and ask
31:08
you, you
31:08
know, what
31:09
gives you
31:09
real joy
31:11
in life?
31:14
You think,
31:14
well, it's
31:14
not really a
31:15
question.
31:15
I've thought
31:16
about a lot,
31:17
but I could
31:17
probably think
31:18
of a number
31:18
of different
31:19
answers to
31:20
give.
31:21
Or you might
31:22
be asked
31:22
another question
31:23
from someone,
31:24
what keeps
31:25
you awake
31:25
at night?
31:27
And you
31:27
think to
31:27
yourself,
31:28
well, that's
31:28
not really
31:29
any of your
31:29
business.
31:29
that's kind
31:31
of probing
31:31
a little
31:31
bit too
31:32
deep.
31:33
What keeps
31:33
me awake
31:33
at night
31:34
is none
31:35
of your
31:35
concern.
31:36
It's
31:36
something that's
31:36
very private
31:37
to myself.
31:38
Our life
31:39
is full of
31:40
different
31:40
questions,
31:41
some simple
31:42
ones, some
31:44
maybe more
31:44
deeply probing,
31:46
and some
31:46
probing right
31:47
into our
31:48
hearts.
31:49
And as you
31:50
read through
31:50
this chapter,
31:52
chapter 8
31:52
of Mark's
31:55
gospel, you
31:55
find that
31:56
at different
31:57
points,
31:58
Jesus is
31:59
asking
31:59
questions,
32:01
asking
32:01
questions of
32:02
different people
32:03
in different
32:04
circumstances,
32:05
but questions
32:06
that are
32:06
probing them
32:08
into their
32:09
hearts, asking
32:10
them, you
32:11
know, where
32:11
are you?
32:12
What do you
32:13
see as your
32:13
greatest need
32:14
in life?
32:16
If you
32:17
glance with
32:17
me to
32:18
verse 12
32:19
there, the
32:22
Pharisees were
32:22
demanding a
32:23
sign from
32:24
him, what's
32:25
the question
32:26
that Jesus
32:26
asks of
32:27
them?
32:27
He sighed
32:28
deeply in
32:29
his spirit
32:29
and said,
32:30
why does
32:31
this generation
32:32
seek a
32:33
sign?
32:35
Why does
32:35
this generation
32:36
seek a
32:37
sign?
32:37
It's almost
32:37
like he's
32:37
saying, you
32:38
have just
32:39
seen and
32:40
heard of
32:41
the feeding
32:42
of the
32:42
4,000 in
32:43
a miraculous
32:44
way, and
32:44
this is on
32:45
top of other
32:46
things that
32:48
the Lord has
32:48
already done,
32:49
and he's
32:49
saying, you're
32:50
still asking
32:51
to see
32:52
more.
32:53
Have you
32:53
not seen
32:54
enough and
32:55
heard enough
32:55
of me?
32:56
Why does
32:57
this generation
32:58
seek a
32:59
sign?
33:00
Is that a
33:01
question that
33:03
you've asked
33:03
of God?
33:04
Show me a
33:05
sign, then
33:06
I'll believe.
33:07
Give me
33:07
something that
33:08
I can see
33:09
for myself, and
33:10
then I'll
33:10
believe.
33:12
When Jesus
33:12
is saying to
33:13
ourselves, why
33:14
as a
33:14
generation are
33:15
we asking
33:16
for more?
33:17
When he's
33:17
already revealed
33:18
and shown
33:19
to us so
33:20
much of
33:21
who he
33:21
is,
33:23
remembering
33:23
this is
33:24
before the
33:25
greatest sign
33:25
of all that
33:26
Jesus would
33:27
give, as
33:27
he gave
33:28
his life on
33:29
the cross,
33:29
and as
33:30
he rose
33:30
from the
33:31
grave, as
33:33
he ascended
33:33
to heaven,
33:35
do we need
33:36
any more?
33:39
And after
33:39
the response
33:40
to the
33:41
Pharisees
33:42
there,
33:44
why do
33:45
you, this
33:45
generation,
33:46
seek for
33:46
a sign,
33:47
he's then
33:47
talking to
33:48
his disciples,
33:50
and the
33:50
question, a
33:51
very probing
33:52
question, he
33:52
asks them
33:53
there in
33:53
verse 21,
33:55
do you
33:56
not yet
33:56
understand?
33:59
Do you
33:59
not yet
34:00
understand?
34:04
And then
34:04
as you
34:05
continue down
34:06
into verse
34:08
27 onwards,
34:10
he's asking
34:10
these two
34:11
questions,
34:11
who do
34:12
people say
34:13
that I
34:13
am?
34:14
In verse
34:14
27, and
34:16
then a
34:16
more probing
34:17
and challenging
34:18
question for
34:19
them in
34:20
verse 29,
34:22
but who
34:23
do you
34:24
say that
34:25
I am?
34:26
Who do
34:27
you say
34:28
that I
34:29
am?
34:31
And in
34:31
order to
34:32
see the
34:33
account of
34:33
the man
34:34
who was
34:34
blind, and
34:35
to understand
34:36
the healing
34:37
of the man
34:38
who was
34:38
blind, we
34:39
have to
34:39
see both
34:40
what comes
34:41
before it
34:42
and what
34:43
comes after
34:44
it, because
34:46
that helps
34:46
us to
34:47
see what
34:48
Jesus was
34:49
doing as
34:49
he healed
34:50
this man
34:51
who was
34:52
blind.
34:54
They have
34:55
become maybe
34:55
complacent in
34:57
some ways,
34:58
the disciples,
34:59
they've been
35:00
seeing many
35:00
miracles, and
35:02
they're just
35:02
going on as
35:02
if this is
35:03
the way it's
35:03
always going
35:04
to be.
35:05
We see
35:05
there's a
35:06
little conflict
35:07
with the
35:07
Pharisees as
35:08
they're asking
35:08
for a sign
35:10
there's
35:11
confusion
35:12
then among
35:12
the disciples
35:14
as he's
35:15
talking to
35:15
them about
35:16
being aware
35:16
of the
35:17
leaven of
35:17
the Pharisees
35:18
and the
35:18
leaven of
35:19
Herod in
35:19
verse 15.
35:20
There's all
35:21
of these
35:21
things going
35:23
on, and
35:23
then you
35:23
come into
35:24
this account
35:24
of the
35:25
blind man
35:25
being healed,
35:28
and it's
35:28
showing us
35:29
that understanding
35:30
takes time.
35:34
So as we
35:35
think of the
35:35
question that
35:36
comes, who
35:37
do you say
35:39
that I am?
35:41
It's a
35:41
question we'll
35:42
all have an
35:42
answer to, but
35:44
it'll be in
35:45
different degrees
35:46
of understanding.
35:47
None of us
35:48
here will ever
35:49
fully understand
35:51
who he is.
35:52
Not this
35:53
side of
35:54
eternity, but
35:56
we should
35:56
always be
35:56
longing to
35:57
understand more
35:58
of who he
35:59
is.
36:01
And that
36:01
should give
36:02
us a certain
36:02
sense of
36:03
help in our
36:04
situation as
36:05
well if we
36:06
think, well
36:06
I'm not a
36:07
believer, I
36:08
don't know
36:09
enough.
36:12
He's
36:12
challenging us
36:13
to say, well
36:14
who is he?
36:16
Do you
36:16
see him as
36:17
the Christ?
36:19
Because that
36:20
is the
36:20
starting point
36:21
of any
36:21
understanding
36:22
of him.
36:23
And it's
36:23
not that
36:24
you'll have
36:24
all the
36:25
answers to
36:26
be able to
36:26
profess his
36:27
name, but
36:28
to understand
36:29
just who
36:30
he is and
36:31
understanding
36:32
comes over
36:34
a period of
36:35
time.
36:37
What's your
36:38
answer to
36:38
the question
36:39
then?
36:40
Who do
36:41
you say
36:41
that he
36:42
is?
36:44
Who do
36:44
you say
36:44
that Jesus
36:45
is today?
36:46
We'll all
36:47
have an
36:47
answer.
36:48
Some will
36:49
confess Jesus
36:51
is Lord.
36:52
Others will
36:53
confess Jesus
36:55
is my
36:56
Lord.
36:57
Others will
36:57
say, well
36:58
Jesus was
36:59
just a good
37:00
man.
37:01
Others will
37:02
say Jesus
37:03
is nothing.
37:05
He's just
37:07
a made
37:07
up story.
37:10
How do
37:10
you answer
37:11
that question
37:12
then?
37:12
Who do
37:13
you say
37:13
that I
37:14
am?
37:15
Well, three
37:16
things we
37:16
want to
37:17
take from
37:17
this passage
37:18
today.
37:18
First of
37:19
all, we
37:19
see
37:19
understanding
37:21
takes time.
37:24
So when
37:25
you're looking
37:25
at the
37:25
account of
37:26
the blind
37:27
man being
37:27
given his
37:28
sight, it
37:29
might seem
37:30
just like a
37:30
little aside
37:31
in between
37:32
the teaching
37:33
that he's
37:34
been given
37:34
to the
37:35
disciples
37:35
beforehand
37:36
and then
37:36
these great
37:37
questions that
37:38
he's asking
37:39
them as they
37:39
went on
37:40
their way to
37:41
the village
37:41
of Caesarea
37:42
Philippi.
37:43
Another
37:44
healing is
37:44
just maybe
37:45
a little
37:45
aside.
37:47
As you're
37:47
going through
37:48
Mark's
37:48
gospel, you
37:49
see there's
37:49
a number of
37:50
different
37:50
miracles that
37:52
happen, and
37:53
especially
37:53
healings.
37:54
You see it
37:55
again and
37:56
again throughout
37:56
the gospel of
37:57
Mark.
37:58
So is this
37:58
just another
38:00
healing?
38:00
Do we just
38:00
become complacent
38:01
and think
38:02
very little
38:03
of it?
38:04
Or do we
38:05
see that here
38:06
he is really
38:06
teaching his
38:07
disciples and
38:08
teaching us
38:09
how we come
38:11
to understand
38:12
the Lord
38:13
more and
38:14
more?
38:15
If you look
38:16
at verse
38:16
17 and
38:17
18, they're
38:18
Jesus aware
38:20
of what they're
38:20
speaking about.
38:23
He says to
38:24
them in
38:25
verse 17,
38:26
why are you
38:28
discussing the
38:29
fact that
38:30
you have
38:30
no bread?
38:32
Do you
38:32
not yet
38:33
perceive or
38:34
understand?
38:36
Are your
38:37
hearts
38:37
hardened?
38:39
Three questions
38:40
he asks them
38:41
in a row
38:41
there.
38:42
Three questions.
38:44
Why are you
38:45
discussing the
38:46
fact that you
38:46
have no bread?
38:48
Is this really
38:48
a big issue
38:49
considering just
38:50
what you've
38:51
just seen,
38:51
the feeding
38:52
of the
38:52
4,000?
38:54
Do you
38:55
not yet
38:55
perceive or
38:56
understand?
38:57
Do you
38:57
not understand
38:58
who I
38:59
am?
39:01
Are your
39:01
hearts
39:02
still
39:03
hardened?
39:05
That's a
39:06
searching
39:07
question.
39:09
And that's
39:09
the basis
39:10
of Jesus'
39:11
healing,
39:12
this man
39:13
at Bethsaida.
39:15
This question,
39:16
do you
39:17
not yet
39:17
understand?
39:20
We might
39:21
feel as if
39:21
we can
39:22
see things
39:23
clearly in
39:24
this world,
39:25
but more
39:27
and more
39:27
as we look
39:27
to the
39:28
scripture,
39:28
we see
39:29
there are
39:29
so many
39:29
things that
39:31
we don't
39:31
understand.
39:33
And when
39:34
you look at
39:34
this miracle,
39:36
the man's
39:37
sight wasn't
39:38
restored
39:38
immediately.
39:41
He goes
39:42
from complete
39:43
blindness
39:44
to seeing
39:45
people as
39:46
trees walking
39:47
to then
39:49
seeing
39:49
clearly.
39:51
And you
39:52
think to
39:52
yourself,
39:52
why that?
39:53
why didn't
39:54
Jesus just
39:55
heal him
39:56
instantly?
39:57
He's done
39:57
it before.
39:59
He could
39:59
do it here.
40:00
It's not
40:00
the fact
40:00
that he
40:00
couldn't
40:01
do it,
40:02
but he's
40:02
making a
40:03
point.
40:04
And the
40:04
point is
40:05
around this
40:05
question,
40:06
do you
40:07
not yet
40:07
understand?
40:10
He laid
40:11
his hands
40:12
on him
40:12
and asked
40:13
him,
40:13
do you
40:13
see anything
40:14
in verse
40:14
23?
40:15
And he
40:15
looked up
40:16
and said,
40:16
I see
40:16
men,
40:17
but they
40:17
look like
40:18
trees
40:19
walking.
40:19
His vision
40:20
is still
40:20
blurred.
40:21
And it's
40:22
only at the
40:23
second time
40:24
of Jesus
40:24
touching his
40:25
eyes that
40:26
he's able
40:27
to see
40:27
clearly.
40:30
I'm sure
40:31
like myself,
40:32
many of you
40:32
have been
40:33
to the
40:33
opticians.
40:35
I remember
40:35
when I first
40:36
got glasses
40:37
when I was
40:37
young,
40:37
I couldn't
40:38
believe the
40:39
difference when
40:40
I put on the
40:41
glasses.
40:41
I mean,
40:41
I thought my
40:42
eyes were just
40:42
like everybody
40:43
else's,
40:44
but I was
40:44
half blind.
40:46
And putting
40:46
on my
40:47
glasses as I
40:47
went out
40:48
from the
40:48
optician was
40:48
just eye
40:50
opening,
40:50
literally,
40:51
because I
40:51
could see
40:52
so many
40:52
things I
40:53
had never
40:53
been able
40:53
to see
40:54
clearly
40:54
before.
40:56
And now
40:57
every time
40:57
you go
40:58
back to
40:58
the optician,
41:00
they always
41:00
start by
41:01
putting in
41:01
different lenses
41:02
and they're
41:02
asking which
41:03
one's clear,
41:04
number one
41:05
or number
41:05
two,
41:06
and they're
41:06
working their
41:07
way through
41:08
a process,
41:09
helping you
41:10
to have a
41:10
clear vision.
41:12
And in so
41:13
doing,
41:13
they're showing
41:14
that your
41:14
eyes are
41:16
not good,
41:16
the vision
41:17
is not good
41:17
until it's
41:18
aided.
41:19
And that's
41:21
what Jesus
41:22
is reminding
41:22
us of here
41:23
as well.
41:25
Understanding
41:26
takes time.
41:29
The man
41:29
wasn't healed
41:30
immediately.
41:32
He was
41:33
seeing just
41:33
bloody,
41:34
as it were,
41:35
at first,
41:36
and then
41:36
seeing clearly.
41:38
And for
41:38
ourselves,
41:39
as we are
41:40
called to
41:41
come to
41:42
an understanding
41:42
of God,
41:43
there are
41:43
things that
41:44
may seem
41:44
like riddles
41:45
at first,
41:46
things that
41:47
we don't
41:48
understand,
41:48
that aren't
41:49
clear to
41:50
us.
41:51
Which is
41:52
why we
41:52
need to
41:52
spend our
41:53
time studying
41:55
God's
41:55
word,
41:56
and in a
41:57
relationship
41:57
with God,
41:59
using our
42:00
time wisely,
42:01
praying to
42:02
God to
42:02
help us
42:03
to understand,
42:05
and to
42:06
share together
42:07
in that
42:07
search for
42:08
knowledge and
42:09
understanding,
42:10
in our
42:10
fellowship,
42:11
in our
42:11
Bible studies,
42:12
in all that
42:13
we're doing,
42:14
helping one
42:15
another along
42:16
the way.
42:17
Because
42:17
understanding
42:18
takes time,
42:19
and different
42:20
people are at
42:21
different stages
42:22
of understanding,
42:25
sharing knowledge
42:26
with one another
42:27
to help one
42:28
another along
42:29
the way.
42:31
So it
42:32
takes time.
42:34
The second
42:35
thing we see
42:35
here is that
42:36
understanding
42:37
takes faith.
42:40
Understanding
42:41
takes faith.
42:43
Theologian
42:45
Augustine
42:45
once said,
42:47
Understanding
42:48
is the
42:49
reward of
42:50
faith.
42:51
Therefore,
42:52
seek not
42:53
to understand
42:54
that you
42:55
may believe,
42:56
but believe
42:57
that you
42:58
may understand.
43:01
Again,
43:01
that sounds
43:02
maybe like
43:02
a little
43:03
riddle.
43:05
Therefore,
43:05
seek not
43:05
to understand
43:07
that you
43:07
may believe,
43:09
but believe
43:10
that you
43:10
may understand.
43:11
understand.
43:13
It's not a
43:13
case of
43:14
coming to
43:14
a point
43:15
where you
43:16
understand
43:17
everything,
43:18
therefore,
43:19
you can
43:19
believe.
43:21
But you
43:22
can believe
43:23
in God
43:23
without fully
43:24
understanding.
43:27
And the
43:27
more that
43:27
you believe
43:28
in God,
43:29
the more
43:29
you understand
43:31
the different
43:31
things.
43:34
Our
43:34
relationship
43:35
with the
43:35
Lord
43:35
is about
43:37
faith
43:37
and
43:39
trusting
43:40
him.
43:41
And those
43:42
who do
43:43
not believe
43:43
in God,
43:44
they lack
43:45
that.
43:46
There's no
43:46
faith.
43:48
And that's
43:48
why they
43:49
will mock
43:49
and belittle
43:50
Jesus,
43:52
because they
43:53
will base
43:53
their understanding
43:55
on what can
43:55
be seen
43:56
and what can
43:57
be proved.
44:00
And yet,
44:00
so much
44:01
of what the
44:01
Bible teaches
44:02
us are
44:03
things that
44:04
are as
44:04
yet unseen.
44:07
And that
44:09
can only
44:09
be seen
44:10
through
44:11
faith.
44:13
When you
44:13
look at the
44:13
man who
44:14
was blind,
44:15
he couldn't
44:16
see,
44:18
yet as
44:18
Jesus comes
44:19
to him,
44:20
in verse
44:20
23,
44:22
he took
44:22
the blind
44:23
man by
44:24
the hand
44:24
and led
44:25
him out
44:26
of the
44:26
village.
44:28
You don't
44:28
read there
44:29
that he
44:29
took the
44:29
man by
44:30
the hand
44:30
and led
44:31
him away,
44:31
kicking and
44:32
screaming,
44:32
because he
44:33
didn't know
44:33
who he
44:34
was with,
44:35
didn't know
44:35
where he
44:35
was going
44:36
to be
44:36
taken,
44:36
didn't
44:37
know
44:37
what he
44:38
was going
44:38
to do
44:38
with
44:39
him.
44:40
There is
44:41
an element
44:41
of faith
44:42
in this
44:43
blind
44:43
man.
44:45
Jesus
44:45
has taken
44:46
him by
44:46
the hand
44:47
and he's
44:47
not
44:48
resisting.
44:49
He's
44:49
allowing
44:50
him to
44:51
lead him
44:51
along
44:52
the way.
44:54
And again,
44:55
there's an
44:55
element of
44:56
that for
44:56
ourselves
44:57
too,
44:57
where when
44:58
Jesus is
44:59
calling us,
45:00
we are to
45:00
put our
45:01
hand in
45:01
his and
45:02
allow him
45:03
to lead
45:03
us along
45:04
the way,
45:05
trusting
45:06
him that
45:07
he will
45:07
show us
45:08
the way
45:08
and help
45:09
us to
45:10
understand.
45:11
And that
45:11
is what
45:12
faith is
45:13
about.
45:14
Trusting
45:15
the Lord
45:16
in all
45:16
the ways
45:17
ahead for
45:18
us.
45:19
The
45:20
disciples
45:20
too have
45:22
been blind
45:23
themselves.
45:25
They've been
45:25
blind at
45:25
different points
45:26
in their
45:26
lives.
45:27
They haven't
45:27
understood
45:28
everything and
45:29
it has
45:29
taken faith
45:31
to go on.
45:32
You think
45:33
of the
45:33
disciples when
45:34
they were
45:34
first called,
45:35
when they
45:35
were called
45:36
to leave
45:36
everything
45:37
behind,
45:38
the fishermen
45:38
were told
45:39
to leave
45:40
your nets
45:40
and come
45:41
and follow
45:42
me,
45:42
Jesus said.
45:43
What did
45:44
they do?
45:44
They didn't
45:44
say,
45:45
well,
45:45
I've got so
45:46
many questions
45:46
to ask
45:47
before I
45:47
go.
45:49
They left
45:49
and they
45:50
went
45:51
immediately.
45:52
They were
45:53
faithful to
45:54
the call
45:54
of God
45:55
and trusted
45:56
him that
45:57
he would be
45:57
with them
45:58
on the
45:58
way.
46:00
There were
46:00
various
46:01
challenges
46:01
along the
46:02
way.
46:04
In
46:04
John's
46:05
Gospel,
46:05
chapter 6,
46:06
towards the
46:07
end of that
46:08
chapter,
46:08
you read
46:08
of a time
46:09
when Jesus
46:10
had a large
46:11
crowd gathered
46:12
around him
46:12
and were
46:14
hearing his
46:14
teaching.
46:16
It says
46:16
that many
46:17
found it
46:17
difficult to
46:18
understand
46:19
and they
46:20
turned away.
46:22
They had
46:22
no faith
46:23
to go
46:23
forward.
46:25
Jesus
46:26
asked the
46:26
disciples a
46:27
question there.
46:29
Will you
46:29
also go
46:30
away?
46:32
And the
46:33
response was
46:34
to whom
46:36
else can
46:36
we go?
46:37
For you
46:37
have the
46:37
words of
46:38
eternal
46:39
life.
46:39
There's
46:40
faith there.
46:43
And that's
46:45
what we see
46:45
here as
46:46
well when
46:47
they're asked
46:47
these probing
46:48
questions.
46:50
Who do
46:50
others say
46:51
that I am?
46:52
They start
46:53
to say,
46:53
well, some
46:53
say that
46:54
you're John
46:55
the Baptist.
46:56
Others say
46:56
you're Elijah
46:57
and others
46:58
the prophets.
46:59
there needs
47:00
to be
47:00
faith to
47:02
give the
47:02
answer that
47:03
they give.
47:05
And when
47:06
you think
47:06
about it,
47:07
they're
47:07
standing out
47:08
from the
47:09
crowd.
47:09
And both
47:10
these
47:10
occasions in
47:11
the Gospel
47:11
of John
47:12
and here
47:13
in the
47:13
Gospel of
47:14
Mark,
47:15
the disciples
47:16
are in a
47:17
small number
47:17
by themselves.
47:20
And the
47:20
easy way
47:21
out would be
47:21
just to
47:22
turn away.
47:23
We don't
47:23
understand these
47:24
things.
47:24
They make
47:24
no sense
47:25
to us.
47:26
We'll just
47:27
go away
47:28
like everybody
47:28
else.
47:30
But faith,
47:32
even though
47:32
they don't
47:32
fully understand
47:34
at this
47:34
point,
47:35
faith keeps
47:36
them looking
47:36
to Jesus.
47:39
Faith is
47:40
what leads
47:41
them,
47:42
Peter,
47:42
to reply,
47:43
you are
47:44
the Christ.
47:47
You are
47:48
the Christ.
47:50
You are
47:50
the Messiah.
47:51
You are
47:51
the one
47:51
we have
47:52
been hearing
47:53
is to
47:53
come.
47:53
You are
47:54
the one
47:55
we are
47:55
supposed to
47:56
be looking
47:56
for.
47:57
You are
47:57
the Christ.
48:01
And when
48:01
you think
48:02
of that
48:02
question for
48:03
yourself
48:03
today,
48:04
who do
48:05
you say
48:06
that he
48:07
is?
48:09
Do you
48:10
have faith
48:10
to answer,
48:12
you are
48:13
the Christ?
48:17
Do you
48:17
have faith
48:18
to answer,
48:19
to whom
48:20
else can
48:21
I go?
48:22
Because you
48:23
alone have
48:23
the words
48:24
of eternal
48:25
life.
48:26
There is
48:27
nowhere else
48:27
we can
48:29
go,
48:30
but we
48:30
need
48:31
faith.
48:34
The
48:35
missionary
48:35
Adoniram
48:37
Judson,
48:38
he was
48:38
in Burma
48:40
in the
48:40
early 1800s,
48:41
what is
48:42
now Myanmar,
48:44
and he
48:44
went there
48:45
to preach
48:46
the gospel
48:47
to those
48:47
who were
48:48
blind and
48:49
ignorant to
48:50
God in
48:50
that place.
48:51
men
48:52
and he
48:52
did not
48:53
go well
48:54
at first.
48:56
And he
48:56
ended up
48:57
in prison,
48:58
chained up
49:00
in prison.
49:02
And he
49:02
was in
49:03
prison with
49:03
a number
49:03
of other
49:04
fellow
49:04
prisoners.
49:06
And he
49:07
was sharing
49:07
about the
49:08
Lord and
49:08
what he
49:09
had come
49:09
to this
49:10
place to
49:10
do with
49:11
those who
49:11
were in
49:11
prison with
49:12
him.
49:13
But he
49:13
was mocked
49:14
by some.
49:15
And one
49:16
day,
49:17
one other
49:18
prisoner asked
49:19
him,
49:19
looking at
49:19
him sitting
49:20
there in
49:21
a prison
49:21
cell with
49:22
this large
49:23
weight of
49:24
chain around
49:25
his legs so
49:26
that he
49:26
couldn't move,
49:27
he asked
49:28
him,
49:28
Dr.
49:29
Judson,
49:30
what do
49:30
you think
49:31
now of
49:32
the prospects
49:33
of preaching
49:33
to the
49:34
heathen
49:35
here?
49:37
Well,
49:37
what was
49:37
the response
49:38
of Dr.
49:39
Judson?
49:41
His
49:42
instant reply
49:43
was the
49:45
prospects
49:45
are just
49:47
as bright
49:47
as the
49:48
promises of
49:49
God.
49:51
He had
49:52
faith that
49:54
God would
49:54
help him
49:55
to proclaim
49:56
the gospel.
49:58
And that's
49:59
exactly what
49:59
he was doing
50:00
even in
50:01
that prison
50:02
at that
50:02
very moment.
50:04
He was
50:05
preaching to
50:06
the heathen
50:07
about the
50:08
promises of
50:09
God.
50:10
He had
50:11
faith.
50:11
faith.
50:13
Do you
50:13
have faith?
50:14
Do I
50:15
have faith
50:16
in all
50:16
that God
50:17
is calling
50:17
us to
50:18
do?
50:19
In all
50:19
that God
50:20
wants us
50:20
to do
50:21
as a
50:21
people
50:22
for him?
50:23
Do we
50:23
have faith?
50:24
Do we
50:24
believe in
50:25
that response
50:26
of Peter?
50:27
You are
50:27
the Christ.
50:30
You are
50:30
the one
50:31
who is able
50:32
to provide
50:32
and help
50:33
us in
50:34
all our
50:34
needs.
50:37
Thirdly
50:38
and finally
50:38
we see
50:39
here
50:39
understanding
50:41
takes
50:42
grace.
50:46
Whether
50:47
we are
50:47
looking at
50:47
the blind
50:48
man here
50:49
or the
50:50
Pharisees
50:51
or the
50:51
disciples
50:52
we see
50:53
God's
50:54
grace in
50:54
so many
50:55
ways to
50:55
them all.
50:57
What he
50:58
could do
50:59
that he
50:59
doesn't.
51:01
What we
51:02
probably
51:02
wouldn't do
51:03
ourselves
51:04
that he
51:04
does.
51:05
he shows
51:06
so much
51:07
grace
51:08
towards
51:09
them.
51:10
When you
51:11
look at
51:11
the blind
51:11
man
51:12
when he's
51:13
taken by
51:14
the hand
51:15
when he's
51:16
touched
51:17
on his
51:18
eyes
51:18
both times
51:20
when he's
51:21
spoken to
51:22
by Jesus
51:23
it's showing
51:24
the love
51:25
and grace
51:25
of the
51:26
Lord to
51:26
someone who
51:27
would by
51:27
others
51:28
just
51:28
cast
51:29
away
51:29
put away
51:31
as a
51:32
burden
51:32
on society.
51:33
he shows
51:34
grace.
51:36
How many
51:37
times does
51:37
he show
51:38
grace to
51:38
the
51:39
disciples?
51:40
You maybe
51:41
think to
51:41
yourself
51:42
all those
51:42
disciples
51:43
who are
51:44
so close
51:44
to Jesus
51:45
what a
51:45
privilege
51:46
they had
51:47
what an
51:47
understanding
51:48
they had
51:49
and yet
51:50
so often
51:51
you find
51:52
Jesus
51:52
asking them
51:53
do you
51:54
not yet
51:54
understand?
51:57
Do you
51:58
not realize
51:59
who I
52:00
am?
52:01
And you
52:01
think of
52:01
Peter
52:02
himself
52:03
who was
52:04
so often
52:05
the
52:05
spoke
52:05
person
52:06
for the
52:06
disciples
52:07
whether it
52:07
was
52:07
will you
52:08
also
52:09
go away
52:09
and he
52:10
replies
52:10
to whom
52:11
else
52:11
shall we
52:11
go?
52:11
You
52:12
have the
52:12
words
52:12
of
52:13
eternal
52:13
life
52:14
or
52:15
here
52:15
as
52:15
Peter
52:16
answers
52:16
in
52:16
chapter
52:17
8
52:17
the
52:17
question
52:18
who
52:19
do
52:19
you
52:19
say
52:19
that
52:20
I
52:20
am?
52:20
He
52:20
says
52:20
you
52:21
are
52:21
the
52:21
Christ
52:22
you
52:23
think
52:24
to
52:24
yourself
52:24
oh
52:24
to be
52:25
as
52:25
holy
52:26
as
52:26
Peter
52:26
to have
52:27
the
52:27
faith
52:28
of
52:28
Peter
52:28
such
52:29
deep
52:29
answers
52:30
that he
52:30
has
52:31
where
52:32
else
52:32
can
52:32
we
52:32
go
52:33
because
52:33
you
52:33
are
52:33
the
52:33
words
52:34
of
52:34
eternal
52:34
life
52:35
or
52:37
you
52:38
are
52:38
the
52:38
Christ
52:39
the
52:39
Messiah
52:40
there's
52:41
a
52:41
depth
52:42
to
52:42
these
52:42
answers
52:43
that
52:43
we
52:43
maybe
52:43
don't
52:44
have
52:44
and
52:45
we
52:46
think
52:46
oh
52:46
well
52:46
we'll
52:46
never
52:47
be
52:47
like
52:48
Peter
52:48
with
52:49
that
52:49
understanding
52:50
and
52:51
yet
52:51
how
52:52
much
52:52
grace
52:52
did
52:53
the
52:53
Lord
52:53
have
52:53
to
52:54
show
52:54
to
52:54
Peter
52:54
you
52:55
think
52:56
he
52:56
had
52:56
all
52:56
that
52:56
understanding
52:57
and
52:58
yet
52:58
when
52:58
it
52:58
came
52:59
to
52:59
the
52:59
crucifixion
53:00
or
53:00
just
53:00
before
53:00
the
53:01
crucifixion
53:02
what
53:02
did
53:02
he
53:02
do
53:03
when
53:03
he
53:03
was
53:04
asked
53:04
three
53:04
times
53:05
do
53:06
you
53:06
not
53:06
know
53:06
this
53:06
man
53:07
are
53:07
you
53:08
not
53:08
with
53:08
this
53:08
man
53:09
he
53:10
denied
53:11
him
53:11
three
53:12
times
53:13
three
53:14
times
53:15
when
53:15
he
53:15
was
53:15
asked
53:16
are
53:16
you
53:17
with
53:17
him
53:17
or
53:18
do
53:20
he
53:22
had
53:22
all
53:22
these
53:23
deep
53:23
answers
53:24
and
53:25
yet
53:25
he
53:25
didn't
53:25
fully
53:26
understand
53:27
who
53:27
he
53:27
was
53:28
and
53:29
he
53:29
denied
53:30
him
53:30
three
53:30
times
53:31
but
53:31
what
53:31
did
53:31
Jesus
53:32
do
53:32
he
53:34
restored
53:34
him
53:35
he
53:37
showed
53:38
grace
53:38
to
53:38
him
53:39
and
53:40
how
53:40
many
53:40
times
53:41
have
53:41
you
53:41
been
53:41
shown
53:42
grace
53:42
in
53:43
your
53:43
own
53:43
life
53:44
how
53:45
many
53:45
times
53:46
has
53:46
the
53:46
Lord
53:46
been
53:47
gracious
53:47
to
53:48
you
53:48
when
53:48
there
53:48
are
53:49
times
53:49
when
53:49
you
53:49
feel
53:50
so
53:50
close
53:51
to
53:51
the
53:51
Lord
53:51
so
53:51
you
53:51
get
53:52
all
53:52
the
53:52
understanding
53:53
and
53:53
the
53:53
next
53:54
minute
53:54
you're
53:54
falling
53:54
into
53:55
a
53:55
sin
53:55
again
53:56
and
53:56
the
53:57
Lord
53:57
is
53:57
gracious
53:58
because
54:00
we
54:01
don't
54:01
fully
54:01
understand
54:02
and
54:03
we
54:03
fall
54:04
and
54:04
stumble
54:04
along
54:05
the
54:05
way
54:05
and
54:06
yet
54:06
the
54:06
Lord
54:07
is
54:07
gracious
54:08
to
54:08
us
54:08
and
54:10
the
54:10
Lord
54:10
is
54:10
still
54:11
asking
54:11
us
54:12
these
54:12
searching
54:13
questions
54:14
that
54:15
we
54:15
might
54:15
come
54:15
and
54:15
understand
54:16
more
54:17
and
54:17
more
54:18
of
54:18
who
54:18
he
54:19
is
54:19
and
54:20
what
54:20
he
54:20
is
54:20
able
54:21
to
54:21
do
54:22
for
54:22
us
54:23
grace
54:25
as
54:26
the hymn
54:26
says
54:27
has brought
54:28
us
54:29
to a
54:29
certain
54:30
point
54:30
and
54:31
grace
54:32
will
54:33
see
54:33
us
54:33
home
54:34
because
54:35
grace
54:36
is
54:36
what
54:37
is
54:37
able
54:37
to
54:38
keep
54:38
us
54:38
we
54:41
don't
54:42
fully
54:42
understand
54:43
we
54:44
don't
54:45
fully
54:45
see
54:46
and
54:46
have
54:46
all
54:47
the
54:47
answers
54:47
but
54:49
by
54:49
faith
54:50
and
54:51
by
54:51
grace
54:52
we
54:53
go
54:53
on
54:53
Richard
54:56
Baxter
54:57
another
54:57
theologian
54:59
who wrote
54:59
many
55:00
books
55:00
he
55:00
tells
55:01
a
55:01
story
55:01
in
55:03
one
55:03
of
55:03
his
55:03
books
55:03
about
55:04
the
55:04
building
55:04
of
55:04
the
55:05
Golden
55:05
Gate
55:05
Bridge
55:06
in
55:06
San
55:06
Francisco
55:07
and
55:09
he
55:09
recounts
55:10
how
55:10
during
55:10
the
55:10
construction
55:11
of
55:12
that
55:12
bridge
55:13
the
55:14
construction
55:15
works
55:15
had
55:15
fallen
55:16
way
55:16
behind
55:16
schedule
55:17
and
55:19
the
55:19
problem
55:19
was
55:20
that
55:21
the
55:21
workers
55:21
were
55:22
so
55:22
afraid
55:23
because
55:24
a
55:24
number
55:24
of
55:25
workers
55:25
had
55:26
fallen
55:26
fallen
55:27
from a
55:28
great
55:28
height
55:28
and
55:29
fallen
55:30
to
55:30
their
55:30
death
55:31
and
55:32
so
55:32
it
55:32
was
55:33
leaving
55:33
people
55:33
afraid
55:34
the
55:34
work
55:35
was
55:35
slow
55:35
and
55:36
sometimes
55:36
at a
55:37
stop
55:37
and
55:38
people
55:39
were
55:39
trying
55:39
to
55:39
work
55:40
out
55:40
engineers
55:41
administrators
55:42
they were
55:42
all trying
55:43
to find
55:43
an answer
55:44
to this
55:45
until
55:46
the
55:47
solution
55:47
that they
55:48
came up
55:48
with
55:48
was to
55:49
hang
55:50
a net
55:51
under
55:51
the span
55:52
of the
55:53
whole
55:53
bridge
55:54
a net
55:55
that if
55:56
anyone
55:56
would fall
55:57
off
55:58
the net
55:58
would
55:58
catch
55:59
them
55:59
it
56:01
cost
56:01
a lot
56:02
and
56:02
they were
56:03
thinking
56:03
can we
56:04
afford
56:04
to do
56:05
this
56:05
but
56:06
they
56:06
went
56:07
ahead
56:07
and
56:07
they
56:07
did
56:07
it
56:08
and
56:09
what
56:09
they
56:09
found
56:10
was
56:10
that
56:10
the
56:10
work
56:11
progressed
56:11
so much
56:12
quicker
56:13
and ended
56:13
up ahead
56:14
of schedule
56:15
because
56:16
there was
56:17
the security
56:17
of knowing
56:18
that
56:19
underneath
56:20
was a
56:21
net
56:21
that would
56:21
catch
56:22
them
56:22
and
56:24
that's
56:24
a
56:24
reminder
56:25
to
56:25
ourselves
56:26
as well
56:27
of the
56:27
great price
56:28
that the
56:29
Lord
56:29
has
56:29
paid
56:30
for
56:30
us
56:30
we
56:31
don't
56:32
fully
56:32
understand
56:34
we
56:35
maybe
56:36
don't
56:36
have
56:36
all
56:37
the
56:37
answers
56:38
but
56:40
when
56:40
we're
56:40
asked
56:40
the
56:41
question
56:41
who
56:43
do
56:43
you
56:43
say
56:44
that
56:44
I
56:44
am
56:45
the
56:46
question
56:47
that
56:47
Jesus
56:48
asked
56:48
of
56:49
the
56:49
disciples
56:49
the
56:50
question
56:50
that
56:51
Jesus
56:51
asks
56:52
of
56:52
ourselves
56:53
today
56:53
who
56:54
do
56:54
you
56:54
say
56:55
that
56:55
I
56:56
am
56:56
how
56:58
do
56:58
you
56:58
respond
56:59
how
57:03
do
57:03
we
57:04
find
57:04
peace
57:05
with
57:06
God
57:06
faith
57:09
comes
57:09
by
57:09
hearing
57:10
and
57:11
hearing
57:12
through
57:12
the
57:13
word
57:13
of
57:13
God
57:14
and
57:15
the
57:15
more
57:15
that
57:15
we're
57:15
hearing
57:16
from
57:16
the
57:16
word
57:17
of
57:17
God
57:17
we
57:17
pray
57:18
that
57:18
the
57:18
more
57:18
the
57:19
Lord
57:19
will
57:19
be
57:19
opening
57:20
our
57:20
eyes
57:21
just
57:21
like
57:21
the
57:21
blind
57:22
man
57:22
in
57:22
stages
57:23
we
57:24
may
57:25
only
57:25
be
57:25
seeing
57:26
trees
57:27
men
57:27
like
57:27
trees
57:28
walking
57:28
as he
57:29
describes
57:29
seeing
57:30
blurry
57:30
but
57:33
oh
57:33
to have
57:33
our
57:33
eyes
57:34
opened
57:34
even
57:34
to
57:34
that
57:35
stage
57:35
is
57:36
progress
57:37
because
57:38
the
57:39
Lord
57:39
is
57:39
working
57:40
and
57:41
it's
57:41
not
57:41
to be
57:41
afraid
57:42
to
57:42
go
57:42
on
57:43
but
57:44
to
57:44
have
57:44
faith
57:44
to
57:44
go
57:45
forward
57:45
and
57:46
to
57:46
rejoice
57:47
that
57:48
over
57:48
time
57:48
he
57:49
is
57:49
able
57:49
to
57:49
help
57:50
us
57:50
to
57:50
see
57:50
and
57:51
to
57:51
see
57:52
clearly
57:53
that
57:55
we
57:55
would
57:55
rejoice
57:55
in
57:56
the
57:56
hope
57:56
of
57:57
the
57:57
glory
57:57
of
57:58
God
57:58
John
58:00
Calvin
58:01
he
58:02
said
58:02
faith
58:03
is
58:03
not
58:03
a
58:03
distant
58:04
view
58:05
but
58:06
a
58:06
warm
58:07
embrace
58:07
of
58:08
Christ
58:09
and
58:11
that's
58:11
what
58:11
we
58:12
want
58:12
not
58:14
just
58:14
a
58:14
vision
58:15
of
58:15
the
58:16
Lord
58:16
that
58:16
is
58:16
a
58:17
distant
58:17
view
58:18
when
58:18
we
58:19
feel
58:19
far
58:19
away
58:20
but
58:21
by
58:22
faith
58:23
receiving
58:24
a
58:24
warm
58:25
embrace
58:26
of
58:27
the
58:27
Lord
58:27
Jesus
58:27
Christ
58:28
as
58:29
he
58:29
takes
58:30
us
58:30
by
58:30
the
58:30
hand
58:31
as
58:32
he
58:32
opens
58:32
our
58:33
eyes
58:33
to
58:34
follow
58:34
him
58:35
along
58:36
the
58:36
way
58:37
may
58:38
the
58:38
Lord
58:38
give
58:39
us
58:39
faith
58:40
and
58:40
open
58:41
our
58:41
eyes
58:41
to
58:42
see
58:42
him
58:43
clearly
58:43
let
58:43
us
58:44
pray
58:44
our
58:46
father
58:47
in
58:47
heaven
58:47
we
58:48
thank
58:48
you
58:48
for
58:48
your
58:49
word
58:49
and
58:49
we
58:49
pray
58:50
you
58:50
will
58:50
bless
58:51
it
58:51
to
58:51
us
58:51
that
58:52
we
58:52
will
58:52
have
58:53
understanding
58:54
Lord
58:54
more
58:55
and
58:55
more
58:55
that
58:55
we
58:56
will
58:56
have
58:56
our
58:56
eyes
58:56
opened
58:57
more
58:58
and
58:58
more
58:58
to
58:58
our
58:59
precious
58:59
saviour
59:00
and
59:00
to
59:01
fix
59:01
our
59:01
eyes
59:02
on
59:02
him
59:02
we
59:03
pray
59:03
Lord
59:03
that
59:04
you
59:04
will
59:04
help
59:04
us
59:04
in
59:05
our
59:05
understanding
59:06
help
59:07
us
59:07
even
59:07
in
59:07
our
59:07
lack
59:08
of
59:08
understanding
59:09
that
59:09
we
59:10
can
59:10
come
59:10
to
59:11
you
59:11
with
59:11
all
59:11
of
59:12
these
59:12
things
59:12
hear
59:13
our
59:13
prayers
59:14
Lord
59:14
and
59:14
continue
59:15
with
59:15
us
59:15
pardoning
59:16
sin
59:17
in
59:17
Jesus
59:17
name
59:18
Amen
59:19
we're
59:24
going to
59:24
conclude
59:25
by
59:25
singing
59:26
in
59:26
Psalm
59:26
57
59:27
in
59:28
the
59:28
Sing
59:29
Psalms
59:29
version
59:30
page
59:30
75
59:31
Psalm
59:35
57
59:36
page
59:38
75
59:39
we'll
59:39
sing
59:39
from
59:39
verse
59:40
9
59:40
down
59:40
to
59:41
the
59:41
end
59:41
of
59:42
the
59:42
psalm
59:42
the
59:43
tune
59:43
is
59:43
Dennis
59:44
among
59:45
the
59:45
nations
59:45
Lord
59:46
to
59:46
you
59:47
I
59:47
will
59:47
give
59:47
praise
59:48
among
59:48
the
59:48
peoples
59:49
of
59:49
the
59:50
earth
59:50
my
59:50
songs
59:51
of
59:51
you
59:51
I'll
59:52
raise
59:53
we'll
59:53
sing
59:53
these
59:53
three
59:54
stanzas
59:54
to
59:54
God's
59:55
praise
59:55
among
1:00:03
the
1:00:05
nations
1:00:07
Lord
1:00:09
to
1:00:10
you
1:00:11
I
1:00:13
will
1:00:14
will
1:00:14
give
1:00:15
praise
1:00:17
among
1:00:18
the
1:00:20
peoples
1:00:22
of
1:00:24
the
1:00:24
earth
1:00:26
my
1:00:27
songs
1:00:29
of
1:00:30
you
1:00:30
I'll
1:00:32
raise
1:00:34
great
1:00:36
is
1:00:38
your
1:00:39
steadfast
1:00:41
love
1:00:43
which
1:00:44
reaches
1:00:46
to
1:00:47
the
1:00:48
sky
1:00:50
your
1:00:52
constant
1:00:53
faithfulness
1:00:58
O
1:00:58
Lord
1:01:00
that
1:01:01
stands
1:01:03
to
1:01:04
heaven
1:01:05
high
1:01:08
above
1:01:10
the
1:01:12
highest
1:01:14
heavens
1:01:15
O
1:01:17
God
1:01:18
exalted
1:01:19
he
1:01:21
and
1:01:25
over
1:01:26
all
1:01:27
the
1:01:29
earth
1:01:30
below
1:01:32
display
1:01:35
your
1:01:37
majesty
1:01:40
after
1:01:44
the
1:01:44
benediction
1:01:44
I'll
1:01:45
go to
1:01:45
the
1:01:45
door
1:01:45
to
1:01:45
my
1:01:46
left
1:01:46
and
1:01:46
just
1:01:46
a
1:01:46
reminder
1:01:47
those
1:01:47
downstairs
1:01:48
can
1:01:48
use
1:01:48
the
1:01:48
two
1:01:49
exits
1:01:50
down
1:01:50
below
1:01:50
here
1:01:51
and
1:01:51
upstairs
1:01:52
use
1:01:52
the
1:01:52
exit
1:01:53
to
1:01:53
the
1:01:53
back
1:01:53
of
1:01:54
the
1:01:54
bottom
1:01:54
of
1:01:54
the
1:01:54
stairs
1:01:54
we'll
1:01:55
close
1:01:55
with
1:01:56
the
1:01:56
benediction
1:01:56
now
1:01:57
may
1:01:57
grace
1:01:58
mercy
1:01:58
and
1:01:59
peace
1:01:59
from
1:01:59
God
1:02:00
Father
1:02:00
Son
1:02:01
and
1:02:01
Holy
1:02:01
Spirit
1:02:02
rest
1:02:03
upon
1:02:03
and
1:02:03
abide
1:02:04
with
1:02:04
you
1:02:04
all
1:02:05
now
1:02:05
and
1:02:05
forever
1:02:06
more
1:02:06
Amen
1:02:07
Thank you