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[0:00] Psalm 90 verse 13 to the end. Turn yet again to us O Lord, how long thus shall it be?

[0:13] Turn yet again to us O Lord, how long thus shall it be?

[0:26] Let it repent thee now, for those that are servants are to thee.

[0:40] O with thy tender mercy's heart does Mary satisfy.

[0:53] So weary joy shall all our gifts and still be glad in thee.

[1:08] According to the days of Him, where then we bring upon.

[1:22] And here heaven we never have sinned, so do thou make us cry.

[1:37] O let thy word and blood appear, thy sevens will be born.

[1:53] And show unto them, children dear, thy glory evermore.

[2:08] I let the beauty of the Lord, thy glory as the Lord.

[2:23] The holy works is the best love, is the best one.

[2:38] Let us come before God in prayer. Let us pray. O Lord, O God, as we come into your presence with praise upon our lips, we are thankful that we can do so.

[2:56] That there is a prohibition that was upon us that has been relaxed in this exercise of worship that allows us to sing your praises.

[3:08] We acknowledge that the praises of your people are an integral part of their worship. We know sitting under your word is important to us.

[3:22] We know hearing your word read and hearing your word proclaimed and applied in a meaningful way is important.

[3:33] But the participation of your people in worship of God is something that we dare not overlook.

[3:44] Participation in the sense of singing your praises. Participation in the sense of coming together with your people in a public forum.

[3:56] Acknowledging God as their God. Recognising that without you we can do nothing. This is our acknowledgement. This is our profession.

[4:08] That we are deeply impoverished if we live our life in this world with the God of heaven excluded. It is more than poverty.

[4:21] It is more than we can measure. And yet there are so many in this world. That is the kind of life they lead. A life that God is not welcoming.

[4:35] A life that God is not part of in any way except to deny you and refuse your existence.

[4:45] We pray that even in our gathering today that you would remind us that God is. And that you are spirit.

[4:57] You are father, son, holy spirit. You are a trinity. You are a God who came into close union with your people in the passion of Christ.

[5:12] He took home nature and he became one with us in that nature. There are so many things that we marvel at about you of God. That you have given to us ample light upon who you are and what you are.

[5:30] And we pray that that light would draw us to the light. We know that your word tells us that there are those who are in the world who go away from the light.

[5:45] That they deliberately do so because they do not want the light. And yet you are light in the way that no other is. You are its source. But you are more than its source.

[5:58] You are light itself in a way that we cannot comprehend. And we cannot speak of except in a limited way. So draw near to us today as we wait upon you.

[6:12] And that in our worship that we would have our hearts gladdened hearing this word to us this day. Because we need to remind ourselves that whatever we are and whoever we are.

[6:28] At this present moment in time you are able to speak to us directly through your word. Make us aware of the fact that you are speaking to us.

[6:39] Not just as a congregation but as individuals within that congregation. Your word is a living word. And it has something to say to every one of us.

[6:50] Even though we may be so different to those who are around about us here. We may have a different interest in the things that we pursue in life.

[7:02] We may have different appetites. We may have different family situations. And we may think that our position at this pleasant moment is exclusive.

[7:18] That there is none in the world who is like us. And that may be so. But you are still speaking to us wherever we are. And you are speaking to us personally and intimately.

[7:31] And into our situation. Into our homes. Our families. Our thought processes. Make us sensitive to what you have to say to us.

[7:41] So that we would be with a ready ear. And a foot that is willing to follow whichever way that you are preparing to lead us.

[7:56] That our feet may be found in the path of life. And that you have promised to us. That those who pursue that path will not only have that life in its fullness.

[8:12] But the end thereof is life without end. We already possess it if we come. We have come to know Christ. Whom to know is life eternal.

[8:23] So here are our petitions. We are seeking your blessing upon our gathering today. Thankful that we are able to meet as we are met.

[8:34] We are praying for your wings to overshadow us. And keep us safe as families and as members of this community.

[8:45] We pray for those who cannot be with us. We are thankful for those that have been able to come. Even though there are strictures upon our gathering and the way we conduct our service.

[9:00] We give thanks that there are those who would wish to be with us. And who have been unable because of these strictures. We pray that they may soon be able to come. We pray for those who may be fearful.

[9:13] And their own personal circumstances do not allow them to come to such a place as this. We pray for them and ask you blessing to be their portion.

[9:25] We remember the cause of Christ in general throughout our island and beyond. We are fearful of the way in which it is so apparent that there is a disinterest in the things of God.

[9:42] And yet you are God overall and you are sovereign. Even in the way that we have been affected by this pandemic as a nation over the last number of months.

[9:55] We remember in your presence those who are grieving today and who continue to be sorrowful. Because of loved ones taken from them. We pray for those amongst ourselves who have illnesses to contend with.

[10:10] Currently different to COVID perhaps. But still serious illnesses that have left them housebound or concerned for their future. We pray that you would encircle them with a sense of your own interest in them.

[10:27] And the readiness that you have to hear prayer. Not only offered by them but on their behalf. We think of those that have concerns for loved ones.

[10:39] That are in hospital. And those who belong to our congregation here and others. We remember them in your presence. We visit those who are sick.

[10:50] Heal their hurts and bind their wounds. We pray for those who are grieving. And the sorrows. That are associated with death.

[11:04] Are ever with us. And you have shown us even in the last few months. That death is not something that comes to the elderly. Although we know that that is the case.

[11:17] That our days are spent. And that we spend our days and they turn into years. And these years are multiplied.

[11:28] And we can see death in the shadows. And yet it is not the province of the elderly merely. And we know that there are some who have succumbed to death in their youth.

[11:41] And some in their mid years. Make us wise to make preparation for that. Because the most precious possession that any one of us has is the soul that you have endowed us with.

[11:58] For which we must answer at a day when we must all appear before your judgment seat. Remember us then each one. Pour out your spirit upon us.

[12:10] Bless your word as we read it and as we reflect upon it. And pardoning sin in Jesus name. Amen. We're going to read from the scriptures of the Old Testament.

[12:26] Scriptures of the Old Testament and Joshua chapter 5. The book of Joshua chapter 5.

[12:44] And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites. Which were on the side of Jordan westward. And all the kings of the Canaanites which were by the sea.

[12:57] He heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel. Until we were passed over. That their heart melted.

[13:09] Neither was their spirit in them anymore. Because of the children of Israel. At that time the Lord said unto Joshua. Make thee sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

[13:22] And Joshua made them sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the poor skins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise. All the people that came out of Egypt.

[13:35] That were males even all the men of war. Died in the wilderness by the way. After they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised.

[13:46] But all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way. As they came forth out of Egypt. Then they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness.

[14:00] Till all the people that were men of war. Which came out of Egypt were consumed. Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord. And to whom the Lord sware that he would not show them the land.

[14:12] Which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us. A land that floweth with milk and honey. And their children whom he raised up in their stead.

[14:24] Then Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised. Because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass. When they had done circumcising all the people.

[14:36] That they abode in their places in the camp. Till they were whole. And the Lord said unto Joshua. This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from of you.

[14:49] Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal. And to this day. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. And kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month.

[15:00] At even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow. After the Passover. And leavened cakes and parched corn in the selfsame day.

[15:13] And the manna ceased on the morrow. After they had eaten of the old corn of the land. Neither had the children of Israel manna any more. But they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

[15:27] And it came to pass. When Joshua was by Jericho. That he lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold there stood a man over against him. With his sword drawn in his hand.

[15:39] And Joshua went unto him. And said unto him. Art thou for us or for our adversaries? And he said nay. But as captain of the host of the Lord.

[15:50] Am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth. And did worship. And said unto him. What saith my Lord unto his servant?

[16:01] And the captain of the Lord's host. Said unto Joshua. Loose thy shoe from off thy foot. For the place whereon thou standest is holy.

[16:12] For Joshua did so. Amen. May the Lord add his blessing. In the reading of his word. And to his name. Be the praise.

[16:22] I'm going to sing now from Psalm 78. Psalm 78. And at verse 18.

[16:35] For in their heart they tempted God. And speaking with mistrust.

[16:47] They greedily did meet required. To satisfy their lust. Against the Lord himself they speak. And murmuring said thus. A table in the wilderness.

[16:59] Can God prepare for us? Behold he smote the rock. And thence came streams and waters great. But can he give his people bread.

[17:10] And send them flesh to eat. The Lord did hear. And walks both. So kindled was a flame. Against Jacob. And against Israel.

[17:20] A big nation came. For they believed not God. Nor trust in his salvation had. No clouds above he did command. And heaven's doors open made.

[17:33] And manna rained on them. And gave them corn of heaven to eat. Man angels food did eat. To them he to the full sent meat.

[17:45] And so on. We can sing these verses. Psalm 78. Verse 18 to 25. For in their heart they tempted God.

[17:56] And speaking with mistrust. For in their heart they tempted God.

[18:09] And speaking with mistrust. They daily did most require.

[18:22] To satisfy their lust. Against the mortals in self-esteem.

[18:36] And fear. And箱adanian who was aja橋. And praying Gwen speaking. They lebih blessed God. All ś... pressures... In love... And things die planning on behalf.

[18:47] Of the forest as they guide. From am chords. And do not sound english.

[18:59] Behold his form... The rock and pen... King seems the water straight But can he give his people breath And send them fresh to eat The rotted children was in broad So can they have us afraid Can she come and can she say A tender nation came For they believe no God nor trust

[20:04] In his salvation heart The crowds are unworthy They come and And their souls open may At man a riddle them and give The corn of them to eat Man in judgment Did he to them He to the old city We're going to turn now for a short while To this passage that we read In the book of Joshua Joshua chapter 5

[21:06] And we can read again at verse 11 And we can read from verse 10 And the children of Israel And the children of Israel Encamped in Gilgal And kept the Passover On the fourteenth day of the month And even in the plains of Jericho And they did eat of the old corn of the land On the morrow And leavened cakes And leavened cakes And parched corn In the same day And the manna ceased on the morrow After they had eaten Of the old corn of the land Neither had the children of Israel Manna any more But they did eat of the fruit Of the land of Canaan That year One thing we learn From the book of Joshua Is that

[22:06] God has to remind his people Often Of the things That he has already done In their life And These reminders In a sense They are a strange thing Because The things That they are reminded of You would imagine That they are Bound to remember But I think The most Glaringly obvious Evidence Of our forgetfulness Is That the Lord's people Are required To Remember The death of Christ Until he comes And they do so By way of Sacrament Sacrament of the Lord's Supper And the sacrament of the Lord's Supper Is something That they are

[23:06] As Christians Expected to observe And as they observe it What they do Is they remember That Jesus Christ Has died for them On the cross Now you think That Christians Would never forget that That it would be the most Certain thing In their lives The most secure thing That they store up In their memories And yet God Has brought This Sacrament Into The life Of the church Now God Doesn't do things Without a reason And The reason Is that We forget What God does Somebody calls The sacrament Of the Lord's Supper A fragrant Forget-me-not I've often Remembered

[24:09] That Picture of it A fragrant Forget-me-not That in order To overcome This people's Forgetfulness God provided This Fragrant Forget-me-not Now I'm saying that Because In this Book of Joshua It is Especially From the beginning Maybe chapter Two Chapter three Onwards There are Several Reminders To the people Of God Of the things That God Did for them Things that Were important And things That were necessary And things That you would Expect them To continue To remember But We are faced Again and again Of one crisis After another And the crisis Taking place Because people Neglect What God And means them To do People

[25:11] Overlook What God Has done For a very good Reason And as he Took the people Of God The children Of Israel From From Egypt And he Leads them To the promised Land There is Presented to us In these verses A cause For celebration As well as A cause For remembrance We go back And think of The things That God Has done For them For example In chapter 4 We read He spoke To the children Of Israel Saying When your Children Ask their Father In time To come Saying What Mean These stones Then You shall Let your Children Know Saying Israel Came Over This Jordan From Thailand Boys And girls I hope You're Paying

[26:12] Attention To that Because There are Many things That God's People Do That you May not Understand But surely If you Don't Understand Something You'll Ask Why are You doing This What are You meaning By what You're Doing I don't Think Your parents Or grandparents Or family Friends Will be Angry Because you Ask the Question And surely You want to Know Why do God's People Do what They're Doing So if There are Any questions You have About The things That God's People Are doing Please Ask And here If you Have time Go back And read About what Happens in Chapter 4 When they Crossed the Jordan They were Told to Gather Twelve stones Out of the Jordan And set Them up To be a

[27:12] Reminder to Them of What God Had done For them Now Later on We're going To see Another place Where the Same thing Is true About the Children Of God's People They're Expected To be Made aware Of what God is Doing In the Lives of His People Parents Man Should tell Their Children This is What God Is doing And this Is why He is Doing it And this Is what It means To me That I Understand That he Has done That So Boys and Girls Please remember To ask Chapter 5 Begins With the Assumption That God Is working In all Our lives And we Have The The Resetting If you Like Of Things That had Been Let slip And there's

[28:13] Questions I Suppose in The mind Of some Why when We come To the Beginning Of chapter 5 Are we There Introduced To something That That should Have been Done And wasn't Done All the Years That the Children Of Israel Were In the Wilderness Because It tells Us about The Resumption Of the Right Of Circumcision Now if You know Anything About the Old Testament Circumcision Was a Mark Of the Covenant It tells The people Of God This is What God Has given To us To remind Us Of who He is And our Relationship With him And Every Boy Was Circumcised At the Age of Eight days Everyone Because The families Wanted To Acknowledge Their Relationship To God In this

[29:13] Way And God Expected Them To do That But During The years In Wilderness This Was Stopped And that's Why Theologians Look at This And they Wonder Why did It stop Did God God Did God Tell them To stop It And did God Stop it From being Done Was it Something that God did Or was it Something that Showed Itself in the Laxity Of the People who Should have Been God's People But Didn't want To Acknowledge That And many Theologians Believe that When The children Of Israel Went into The wilderness They They Sinned Against God And In their Sinning Against God God Brought Judgment To bear Upon God

[30:13] Said Your Sin Means That You Are Not Going To Enter The Promised Land And As a Result Of God's Judgment They More or Less Concluded Well If We're Not Going Into The Promised Land Then We're Not Going To Honor God As Our God Now Well That Is Right The We Read Here Joshua Introduced Reintroduced The Right Of Circumcision All The People That Came Out Of Egypt That Were Males Even All The Men Of War Died In The Wilderness By The Way After They Came Out Of Egypt That Was The Bottom Line And All That Died Who Were Circumcised Were Not Replenished They Were Not Replaced Then We See In Verse 10 How It Is Stated That Israel Carried Carried On And Camped In

[31:13] Gilgal There We See Them Do A Second Thing That Spoke Of Their Relationship To God And That Is The Passover The Passover Four Days After They Have Crossed The Jordan Three Days After They Have Circumcised All The Males In Their Camp They Then Observe The Passover Passover Passover Was A Central Feast That Became Something That Was Important To The Children Of Israel God Meant It To Be Remembered Because If You Go Back In The History Of Israel Although It Is Only A Recent History When They Were In Egypt God God Saved Them From Egypt By Sending The Angel Of Death Over The Land And Only The Children Of Israel Who Obeyed

[32:14] What God Had Given Them To Do Were Spared God Pronounced A Judgment On The Land And The Oldest Male In Every Home Would Be Killed By The Angel Of Death Were They Not To Do What God Expected Them To Do That Is Sprinkle The Blood Of A Newly Killed Lamb On The Doorpost And The Lentels And Prepare The Lamb As God Had Instructed Them And Prepare Themselves To Eat It And To Be Ready To Leave At God's Instruction Now This Was To The Passover And That Passover Was To Be A Commemorative Feast From That Point On And I'm Sure You Know Something About That Well I Want This Sorry The Induction Is A Bit Long But There Are Three Things I Want Us To Look At

[33:14] In These Verses The Passover Itself I'm Sure I've Explained It Briefly But If You Know What It Says It Summarized In Exodus Twelve Well The Whole Of It Is Found In Exodus Twelve And A Summary Is Found In These Words It Shall Come To Pass When You Come To The Land Which The Lord Will Give You According As He Has Promised That You Shall Keep This S And It Shall Come To Pass When Your Children Shall Say Unto You What Mean You By This Service That You Shall Say It Is The Sacrifice Of The Lord Passover Who Passed Over The Houses Of The Children Of Israel In Egypt When He Smoked The Egyptians And Delivered Out Houses So Then Again An Encouragement To The People To Teach Their Children In What God Has Done For Them In Their Lives Now The Second Passover Was Kept By

[34:16] Them In The Wilderness Of Sinai The First One Was The One That They Kept In Egypt And We Read In Numbers Chapter Nine They Kept The Passover On The Fourteenth Day Of The Month At Even In The Wilderness Of Sinai According To All That The Lord Commanded Moses So Did The Children Of Israel This Was A Celebration Of What God Had Done In Their Past But This Was Only The Second Time They Did And For Thirty Nine Nearly Forty Years In The Wilderness They Did Not Keep The Passover For For For For All The Time That They Were In The Wilderness That Celebration That Remembrance Of What God Has Done Was Neglected Again There's Different Opinions As To Whether It Was Neglect Or Circumstances That Demanded That They Could Not Do But

[35:16] Some Have Argued That It Was A Celebratory Meal And Because It Was A Celebrated Meal They Couldn't Celebrate While They Were In The Shadow Of Death When They Were In The World Of The Commentator Charles Price Puts It Like This Some Were Doomed To Die In The Desert Because Of Their Disobedience And Many Were Sorry That They Even Left Egypt And All Who Were Like That Didn't Believe That They Would Ever See The Promised Land Or Canaan The Reichter Alan Redpath Who Is Clearly Fond Of Alliteration Describes What Happens As Remembrance And Resurrection Realisation And Revelation Denunciation And Restoration But When We Look At What God Is Doing And What Is Acknowledged As God Is Doing God Is Teaching Them At

[36:16] This Point Of His Faithfulness He's Telling Them Reminding Them Encouraging Them To Think About The Way He Is The Way He Is Faithful Even When That Is Compared Or Contrasted To Their Lack Of Faith And You Have To Put This To Yourself In The Sense That You Can Put Yourself In The Shoes Of These People And If You Do Then You Have A Better Chance Of Understanding What That Reasoning Is When Things Are Going Well And God Is On Your Side Or So You Believe And When You Are Recognizing What He Is Doing To Be His Doing Then You May Be Content Enough To Acknowledge God And To Recognize That What He Is Doing Is Doing For A Reason Or For Your Good But When Things Go Against You When Things

[37:17] Start Going Wrong When Things Are Not The Way You Expect Them To Be That Moment Is The Moment That You May Incline Towards Questioning God Or Even Doubting God Or Even We're Still Denying God The Preacher Read A Value Pink That Says That When We Come To This Point After God Has Taken Him Out Of Egypt As God Has Taken Him Through The Wilderness He Is Now Preparing Them To Go In To Possess The Promised Land The Land That He Promised To Them And As They Were Entering The Promised Land This Way That God Chose To Deal With Them By Reintroducing Them To These Neglected Services

[38:17] The Neglected Circumcision Right The Neglected Passover That He Was Reminding Them Of The Things That He Had Done In The Past And That He Was Able To Do In Their Present Into The Future And He Was Doing That By Bringing To Remembrance Or Bringing To Their Memory The Promises That They Had Forgotten God's Promises Are Not Like Our Promises When We Make A Promise Very Often We Don't Keep Them Or With The Passage Of Time We Forget That We Made Such A Promise That's Not The Way It Is With God When God Makes A Promise He Makes It In Order To Keep It And It May Be That With The

[39:18] Passage Of Time You Will Imagine That God's Promises Will Not Be Kept But That Is Not The Way With God And Here As They Prepare To Enter Into The Promised Land He Reminds Them By Reintroducing Them To These Acts Of Worship Of Promises God Has Made And That He Intends To Keep And Even Though They Faded From Their Memories They Have Not Faded From His Memory And Sometimes When We Accus God Of This Very Thing It May Be That We Lost Touch With What God Has Said I Was Trying To Think Of It You Know Where Are We Going To Find God's Promises Where Will We Find Them Well

[40:18] Obviously We'll Find Them Where They Recorded They Are They Recorded They Are Recorded In God's Word And If We Say Well I've Forgotten These Promises And We Accus God Of Saying You've Forgotten Your Promises One One One of The Reasons That We Forget Is That We Are Not As Often As We Should Be In The Place Where These Promises Are To Be Found In The Place That These Promises Are To Be Remembered And That They Are Brought Freshly To Bear Upon Hearts And Minds Without A Reminder Of These Promises Then We May Think That They Have Never Been Made Surely The Passover Makes Them Think Of God's Provision How Did They Come To Leave Egypt Well The Passover Reminds

[41:18] Them Of That But The Passover Is Not Just A History Lesson About What God Did In The Past It's Also Telling Them What God Is Going To Do In The Future It's Telling Them Through The Symbols Of The Passover That God Is Going To Provide A Lamb And That Lamb Would Be The Means By Which Sin Is Dealt With Once And For All We Read In The Epistle To The Hebrews That There Are Those Who Were Believers Who Believed In The Promises Of Them And Embraced Them And Confessed That They Were Strangers And Pilgrims On The Earth Now This Is In Hebrews 11 Where We Have A Big Passage There Speaking About All The People Of God Who Were Men And Women Of Faith Who Trusted In God And

[42:18] Trusted In His Word And Yet They Did Not See Some Of What God Said Realized In Their Lifetime But They Did Not Lose Their Faith They Did Not Lose Sight Of The Fact That God Who Promised Would Bring To Pass The Things That He Has Promised And We Can't Either In Our Lives Lose Sight Of Whatever It Is That We Find In God's Word That We Can Appreciate As A Promise Made To God's People If We're One Of Them A Promise Made To God's People Even If We're Not We Can Understand This Is What Belongs To God's People And If It Belongs To Them And God Has Said It Then We Should Want It For Ourselves Now We Read That They Did Eat Of The Old Corn In Verse 11 The Day After The Passover They Ate Eleven Cakes And Parched Corn

[43:19] On The Same Day And After They Eat The Old Corn The Manna Ceased On The Morrow After They Had Eaten Of The Corn Of The Land Neither Had The Children Of The Manna Any More But They Did Eat Of The Fruit Of The Two Things Go Together And You Wondered How After Just Coming Into The Promised Land How Could Israel Eat Of Old Corn How Is It Possible They Haven't Been There Long Enough To Plant Fields And For The Corn To Grow And Yet This Is What They Do They Come Into Possession Of The Land And God Has Made Provision For Them In Corn That Is Old And Ready To Use And Bake It And Make Bread Of It And Some Say Well This Is Just Something That Is Connected With Their Worship As Well Because It Specifies Unleavened

[44:21] Cakes And Parched Corn Because It Specifies That They Are Saying Well God Is Reminding Them Or Reminding Us As We Read It That This People Once Again Not Only Did They Keep The Passover But They Began The Process Of Active Worship In Using These Elements The The Parched Corn And The Elevent Cakes Which Is Part Of Their Worship And Was Part Of It Before They Were Deprived Of It In The Wilder So They Resume Immediately As They Enter Into The Promised Land The Features That Belong To Their Worship Maybe That's All It Says Because Clearly You Ask The Question Why Was Their Corn There And The Simple Reason Is It Could Be Anyway That When They Came Into Possession Of The Promised Land That You

[45:21] Will See That When They Crossed In Their Thousands That Those Who Were Occupants Of The Land Saw Them Coming And Some Took Flight And When They Took Flight They Took Their Possessions And Left Their Homes And Some Say Well They Left Their Granaries Behind And They Left The Corn That Was There Behind And All The Children Of Had To Do Was Take Possession Of And That May Be A Simple Answer For That God God Had Made This Preparation For That This Is The Thing You You You Can You Can You Can You That That God God Was Most Certainly In It He Made Provision He Said This Is What You're Going To Do And This Is How You Will Be Able To Do It All You Have To Do Is Take Possession Of What Is There For You And I Suppose That's What

[46:23] We Have One Of The Commentators Writes Each Day The Lord Sustained The Lives Of His People In A Barren Wasteland To Preserve Them And To Teach Them How Dependent They All Were On Him Now That Doesn't Change Just Because They Go To A Land That's Flowing With Milk And Honey Doesn't Mean That It Is Not God That Provides It This Is What This Is What Bugs Us As A Generation We're Materialistic And When God Supplies Us Through The Plenitude Of Our Society We Say God Isn't In It We Forget God Is In It We've Got All That By Our Own Endeavors And By Our Own Striving By Our Own Labor By Our Intellect By Our Own Machinations Of All That We

[47:23] Are But That Is Not What God Says The Same Rule Applies When We Are In Want As It Does To When We Are In Plenty God God God God Is God Is The Source Of The Meager Provision That Meets Our Want When We Are In Poverty In Deuteronomy Chapter Chapter 8 We Read Read the Read the God's Provision To The Children Of Israel He Says You Shall Remember All The Way Which The Lord Thy God Led The Those Forty Years In The Wilderness To Humbly And To Prove To Know What Was In Your Heart Whether Thou Would Keep His Commandments Or And He Humbled And Suffered To Hunger And Fed With Manna Which Thou Knewest Not

[48:23] Neither Did Thy Fathers Know That He Might Make The Know That Man Does Not Live By Bread Alone But By Every Word That Proceeds Out of The Mouth Of The Lord That Man Live It Was God Who Took Them Into The Situation Where They Were Hungry He Led Them Into The Wilderness And The Wilderness Brought Them Face To Face With Their Own Weakness And Their Own Inability And Then He Supplied What Was To Meet Their Need The Bread Of Heaven In The New Testament We Read Of How Jesus Points To God's Provision For Them In The Wilderness And Uses It To Teach Them How God Is To Meet Their Need In The Passion Of Himself The Lord Jesus Christ You Read John Chapter 6 For Yourself And Jesus There Points Himself To He

[49:24] Directs Attention To This Wonderful Persia Himself That God Has Sent Into The World The Bread Of Life The Man Christ Jesus Who Will Meet The Needs Of All Who Are In The World Some People Look At This Passage And They Say Well Here We Are Introduced In These Two Things The The Manna That Reminds Us Of The Three Cross Christ Christ In His Humility Christ In His Humiliation Christ As The Son Of The Virgin Introduced Into The World To Live There In Penury And Then In The Bread In The Corn It Is Reminding Us Of Christ Post Cross After The Resurrection The Glorified Christ The

[50:25] Provision That God Has Made In Him And That Both Things Are Brought To Our Attention Here You Know That The Manna That Was On The Ground Was Gathered From The Ground And The People Had To Gather It Six Days Of The Week On The Sixth Day They Gathered Nuffer Seven But Here What We Are Told Is Once God's Need Once God Saw Man's Need Met In Another Way He Took Away What Was Meeting Their Need In The Way That He Had Decided Would Meet That Need At The Moment Once The Manna The Need For Manna Was Over The Moment They Entered Into The Promised Land The Moment They Entered Into A Land That Was Able To Provide For Them Then The Manna Cease We Are Told And This Is Something

[51:25] That We Need To Remind Our Sounds Of God's Provision For Us In Christ Jesus Is Something That Is Despised Something That Some People Believe That They Can Do Without And The Strange Thing I Suppose When I Was Working Through This In My Head I Was Thinking Well Here We Have A People Thinking Of History They In The Wilderness And All the Time They Were In The Wilderness God Met Their Need Every Day Manor Manor Manor Manor Was There For Them To Gather Every Day Apart From Saturday There Was A Double Potion Which Would Allow Them To Rest On The Lord's Day On The Sabbath Day And It Was Despised Within A Short Space Of Time By So Many And Perhaps Those Who Despised It Most

[52:25] Were Those Who Looked Forward To The Day When They Would Have The True Bread When They Would Have The Corn Of Egypt Now You Apply That To Yourself Perhaps You're Saying Today The Gospel Provision It's Not What It's Cut Out To Be I'm Not Longing For The Real Thing I'm Longing For The Day When I Will Be With Christ If That's Your Expectation Well You'll Be In Heaven Well You're On The Fullness Of What That Means What The Gospel Has For Me Is Less Than Me My Needs Anyway Well How Foolish Is Bad When We Think Of The Provider God Has Made Provision For Us Of The Gospel And The Gospel Is For The Present The Gospel Is For The Gospel Is

[53:25] For The Gospel Is Bringing Christ To Us Where We Are With The Assurance That As Long As We're In The Gospel Age Then Then There's Sufficient There To Meet Our Need But There's More Promised We Will Enter The Land Of Plenty We Will Eat Of The Fruit Of The Land We Will Sit With Kings But That Is Not Our Age I Would Be Very Wary Of Any Who Think Of Deficiencies In The Gospel Today Because They're So Taken Up In Their Own Thinking Of The Wonders Of What God Provides In The Future Well I'm Going To Finish Now Because I Know Sitting With Damascus Is Really Quite Not

[54:28] Something As Pleasant For Some Anyway But This Was On My Mind With Regard To The Provision That God Has Made For Us Thinking Of The Last Year And A Bit One Thing That We Every One Of Us I'm Sure Experienced Was The The Lack Of Being Able To Meet Under God's Word Publicly I Hope That You Missed That I Certainly Did I'll Be Eternally Grateful For The Provision That God Made For Us During That Time That We Could Hear God's Word Teached And That We Could Sit In Our Homes And Have A Message From The Word Of God In Our Homes God But

[55:28] I Do Hear People Say Well I've Heard It Said By People Who Are Christians And People Who Are Not That If The Word Of God Can Come To Us In That Way What Is The Need For Us To Meet Together As We're Met Today They Don't See The Need For It If God Has Supplied Us In This Way Surely That Supply Is Sufficient But No God Supplies Sufficient For The Need That There Is And When That Need Is Taken Away Then We Must Have A Our Sense Of What He Provides And I've Said This Recently And I'll Say It Again Part Of The Church Of Christ Part Of God's Ministration Or The

[56:29] Way He Works Is Through The People Of God To The People Of God In Their Gathering In Their Meetings You Know This Building Is Just Bricks And Stone It's Just Wood It's Just Something A Shell It's Not The Church The Church Is God's People Met Together To Worship Take That Away From The Church You Can Have A New Go Into Any City Today And There's Hundreds Of Buildings That Are Derelict That Are Empty That Are Divided Of Original Use They're Not The Church The Church Is The People Of God Not Just The People Of God The People Of God Publicly Met Together For The Worship Of God God God Provided For The Opportunity To Meet

[57:30] Privately Around This World Knowing That We Were Met With Others Who Were In The Same Spirit But It Doesn't Match Up To The Physical Meeting That We Enjoy In God's House There's Nothing Like It And God Means Us To Have It Now The Wisdom Of God Is Such That We Must Be Wise In The Way That We Avail Ourselves Of His Provision We Can't We Can't Behave As If This Pandemic Has No Influence Over It That's Not Right God Is Every Bit As Much Lord Of The Pandemic As He Is Lord Of Anything Else You Remember That God Is Every Bit As Much In Control Of The Pandemic And The Virus As He Is Of Anything Else And As Long As He Means

[58:30] To Affect Lives In The World We Must Reconcile To That But If There Is A Way To To Avail Ourselves Of The Provision That He Has Made In The Gospel Which Includes Coming Together Around His Word Under His Word Then We Should Do All In Our Power To Ensure That We Do That To The Best Of Our ability I Hope That Today's First Experience Of Coming Together Is Just A Forte Test And We May Never Get Back To What We Had Before The Pandemic I'm Not A Prophet But There Are Many Things That Have Come Into Into Our Experience Because Of Covid That That We Never Go Away In Our Lifetime Unfortunately May May May God Be Blessed Praised By His Own People For What We Have And That Is Working

[59:32] In His Plan For The Glory Of His Name Through His People May Bless To Us These Few Thoughts Going To Sing In Conclusion From Psalm 122 I Hope You Had A Sense Of Joy In Your Heart As You Came To God's House Maybe Strange Maybe Different Maybe Not What We Would Want It To Be But I Hope The Joy Of God's People Coming Together To Worship Is Very Much Part Of Your Experience I Joy To The House Of God Go Up They Said To Me Jerusalem Within Thy Gates And Feet Shall Standing Be Jerusalem As A City Is Compacted Built Together To That Place The Tribes Go Up The Tribes Of God Who Will Sing The Whole Psalm I Joy To The House Of God Go Up He

[60:32] Said To Me I Joy Went To The House Of God閑 To All in Between Thy peace Our standing hungry upon the love after Jesus Com tej air Whatever together And to that brother God CHOIR SINGS

[61:56] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS I've never made a promise

[63:00]  Though there may be retained Now for my thanks and presence Please be in thee I'll sing And for the rest of the Lord I'll see my good long day Amen