Paul has very kindly allowed me to choose what to preach from this morning and I have something of an ongoing love affair with the psalms.
And so I've picked a psalm which has meant a great deal to me recently and my hope and prayer is that it may mean a great deal to us.
Psalm 107. So I'd be very glad if you could turn back to that, the psalm that Rachel read to us earlier.
Psalm 107. If you've got one of the church Bibles, it's page 506.
Page 506.
And before I preach, let's, as we sit, bow our heads and pray for God's help.
Gracious God, our Heavenly Father, we thank you that by your Spirit you've caused these psalms to be written and prayed and sung over many years.
We ask that as we consider this psalm now, you would put it into our hearts and onto our lips, that we too might join your people in singing it.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
I want to begin with a question which is enormously important.
And the question is this.
What will it feel like to be loved with an unchanging love?
If it is true, if you and I are men and women in Christ, if it is true, as the Bible teaches, that you and I are loved with an unchanging love,
that we have a Heavenly Father who has loved us, as one of our songs said from before the world began,
that he loves us now, that he has demonstrated his love in the coming and the death of the Lord Jesus,
that he pours his love into our hearts by his Holy Spirit, that he will love us always,
and that his love never changes, the question is what will it feel like?
And it's an enormously important question.
Because one of the things I often feel, especially when I have the privilege of being a visiting speaker somewhere,
is how lovely it would be if we had time to share our stories.
All of us have stories to tell.
Some of them are stories of our past and their hopes and aspirations and perhaps fears for the future.
Depending on your age, the balance will be different.
So, younger children, you'll have stories from the past, but they may not be very long ones yet,
but you'll have a great many hopes and aspirations for the future.
Those of us who've been around the block a few more times have got a few more stories from the past,
and maybe not quite so many for the future.
Who knows?
But we all have stories.
Now, is it not true that our natural feeling as we go through life,
the ups and downs of life, is that there are days when everything's marvellous.
We're in good health, we're perhaps happy in relationships, friendships,
perhaps happy in marriage, perhaps happy in parenthood, perhaps happy at work,
and everything's going well.
And we feel that it's a natural thing to say that God loves me,
because everything is great.
But there are other days, and there'll be plenty of us here, I have no doubt,
who can echo this.
Other days when our health is difficult, perhaps seriously difficult,
when those we love are struggling,
perhaps when we're going through bereavement,
perhaps when there've been sadnesses and disappointments,
when we naturally feel that God doesn't love us as much.
There are times of darkness, times of uncertainty.
And so the question, what should it feel like to be loved with an unchanging love,
is a really important one.
If you're here this morning and you're not, as yet, a Christian believer,
it's so lovely to have the chance to talk to you about the love of God for these minutes,
and I hope you'll listen carefully.
The psalm begins with the words,
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
The God of the Bible is good.
His steadfast love endures forever.
And his steadfast love is the theme of the psalm.
So you see it again in verse 8.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love.
You see it again in verse 15.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love.
You see it again in verse 21.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love.
You see it again in verse 31.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love.
And you see it again at the end.
Let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
so that's the theme
and the psalm invites us to think about
the steadfast unchanging love of God
and you'll notice in the last verse
that we're invited at the end
that if you want to be wise
and we all want to be wise
wise doesn't mean having a high IQ
wise doesn't mean clever
it's possible to be clever and a fool
and it's possible to be not so clever
and to learn wisdom
but if you want to be wise
and we all want to learn wisdom
then says the psalmist
attend to these things
listen, consider, think about this
and think about what's going to happen
so verses 2 and 3
set the agenda
so verse 1 says the theme
it's about the love of God
what it is to be loved by the steadfast love of God
incidentally
if you've been a Christian for a while
and a Bible reader for a while
I hope you know that the steadfast love
the word translated steadfast love
loving kindness in the old versions
sometimes just love
but steadfast love is a good translation
it doesn't just mean God generally smiling
and being nice
so God is very kind
Jesus said
he lets the rain fall on wicked people
so that their crops grow
he's kind to people in all sorts of ways
but the steadfast love means the promised love
the pledged love
the covenant love
that God gives to all who are in relationship with him
ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ
that's what the steadfast love is
that's what it's about
so it's about
what's it like to be loved
to be a man, a woman
or a child
in Christ
so verses 2 and 3
give us a little bit of context
and the agenda
let the redeemed of the Lord say so
and when you get the word redeemed
it reminds you of the exodus
the slaves in Egypt
being bought out of slavery
and the exodus
by God's mighty act of rescue
let the redeemed of the Lord say so
let them tell their stories
it's a kind of invitation
to have some story telling
those he's redeemed from trouble
and verse 3
those he's gathered
notice that word gathered
from the east, west, north, south
and the word gathered
reminds us much later
in Old Testament history
so the exodus from Egypt
right near the beginning
and the gathering
reminds us of coming back
from exile in Babylon
much later in Israel's history
so as we read the stories
we remember the people of Israel
who were slaves in Egypt
coming out
and we remember the exiles
in Babylon
hundreds of years later
being regathered into the land
and you'll see that this is
the beginning of book 5
the books of Psalms
are divided into 5 books
and once you get to book 5
some of the Psalms
are very, very old Psalms
but they're put together
late in the Old Testament history
they're put together
at the time when the people
have been gathered back
from exile
it seems
if you glance at the
second last verse
of the previous Psalm
verse 47
on the same page
there's a prayer
verse 47
save us O Lord our God
gather us
it's a prayer to be gathered
back from the nations
to come back from exile
so
the person leading the singing
here says
let's tell some stories
what's it like
to have been a slave in Egypt
and redeemed
what's it like
to have been an exile in Babylon
and been redeemed
what's it like
to be loved
with the steadfast
covenant love of God
and they're very, very
vivid stories
so
let's
let's listen
to these stories
the Psalm
begins with four
very similar stories
there are four stories
they each begin
with trouble
and then there's a prayer
and then God answers
and then there's
thanksgiving
so there's four stories
very similar structure
as we go through them
we'll discover
that these stories
are not
four different groups
of people
these are the same people
telling their stories
in poetic form
in different ways
so it's not like
I'm the leader
and I say
let's have some stories
and a bunch over there
stand up and tell us
verses 4 to 9
the first story
and then another bunch
stand up and say
oh our story's different
it's verses 10 to 16
and so on
it's actually the same people
telling the stories
but in different ways
and they're very vivid
and I want us to
in a sense
get
into them
in our imaginations
so verses 4 to 9
here's the first story
I'd call this
lost
in a wasteland
world
so some people
as it were
they stand up
the people of God
and they say
well we were
we were wandering
in desert wastes
like the Sinai Desert
or the Sahara Desert
a place where there aren't
any roads
and road signs
and there's no water
and it was a
it was a
it was a miserable business
verse 4
we couldn't find any way
to a city
a place where there'd be
food and drink
and verse 5
we were hungry
and thirsty
and our soul
our being fainted
within us
we were weak
and we were lost
and we couldn't find
where we were going
and you think of the
the slaves in Egypt
at the beginning
lost
not literally in a desert
but metaphorically
lost
not knowing where
they were going
and unsatisfied appetites
hungry
thirsty
you think of the exiles
in Babylon
not literally in a desert
but unsatisfied appetites
hungry
thirsty
then you think of the Lord Jesus
singing this psalm
later
you think of him
in the desert
hungry
thirsty
in the desert
and then you think of
Christian people
all down the years
saying
I know what it feels like
to have unsatisfied appetites
I know what it feels like
to be hungry
to want something
maybe literally food or drink
it may be something
in a relationship
or a job
or health
you know what it feels like
to be hungry
and thirsty
and they go on
verse 6
we cried
they said
they cried to the Lord
in their trouble
they prayed
he rescued us
verse 7
he led them
by a straight way
to a city
to dwell in
where their appetites
could be met
their hunger
and thirst
so verse 8 and 9
let them thank the Lord
for his steadfast love
he satisfies
verse 9
the longing soul
the hungry soul
he fills
with good things
so you get to the end
of that first telling
of the story
and you say
aha
I've got it now
now I know
how God loves me
I know God loves me
when I was hungry
and thirsty
and now I've got
food and drink
I know God loves me
when I had unsatisfied appetites
and now they're satisfied
I know God loves me
when I wanted to be married
and now I'm happily married
I know God loves me
when we wanted children
and now we've got children
I know God loves me
when I was
in need of a job
and now I've got a job
that's how I know
God loves me
or is it?
let's park that
and go on to the next story
we'll come back to that
in a minute
here's the second story
verses 10 to 16
same people
telling their story
from a different perspective
you might want to call
verses 10 to 16
trapped
in a dark world
so verse 10
they're describing it now
they're saying
they sat in darkness
and a shadow of death
that's deep deep darkness
that's darker than a dark night
in the countryside
that's a spiritual darkness
and then you discover
verse 10
that it's the darkness
of a dungeon
prisoners
in affliction
they're in a dungeon
they're trapped
and it's because
they'd rebelled
against God's words
they'd spurned him
verse 11
and so they were
bowed down
with hard labour
verse 12
you think of the slaves
in Egypt
before the exodus
bowed down
with hard labour
falling down
verse 12
no one
to help
you think of the exiles
in Babylon
metaphorically
in a prison
a prison is where
you can't go
where you want to go
and do what you want to do
you're trapped
and you know
the strange thing is
that it's possible
at the same time
to be lost
in a world
that's too big
a desert
and at the same time
to be trapped
in an inward world
that's too small
and dark
same people
telling their stories
from a different angle
as it were
think of the Lord Jesus
a prisoner really
ultimately a prisoner
before the cross
but not able to go
where he wanted
not able to do
everything he chose
trapped
watched
dark
ultimately dark
at the cross
with the darkness
of the shadow of death
and you think of
Christian people
all down the ages
saying yes I know
what it feels like
to be in darkness
I remember
trying to open up
this psalm
to the students
at Corn Hill actually
and one of them
said to me afterwards
that these descriptions
in these stories
matched exactly
with their experience
of depression
I can identify
with all of that
they said
to me
but again
they pray
verse 13
they cry to the Lord
in their trouble
he delivers them
he brings them
out of darkness
you think of the
slaves coming out
of Egypt
at the exodus
the exiles
coming back
to the promised land
from Babylon
the Lord Jesus
being raised
from the dead
and Christian people
being brought
out of darkness
he burst their bonds
apart
they were set free
my chains fell off
my heart was free
and so verse 15
they thank God
because he shatters
doors of bronze
verse 16
cuts the bars of iron
so you see
now I get it
now I know
how God loves me
I know God loves me
because there were
times in my life
when it was dark
and I felt trapped
and constrained
and I couldn't go
where I wanted to go
but now my heart
is free
and I found freedom
in Jesus
and it's wonderful
and that's how I know
God loves me
or is it
hold on to that
and we'll go on
to the third story
we've got a lot
of loose ends here
so hold on to that
and we'll go on
to the third story
verses 17
through to 22
we might want to call
this telling of the story
weak
in a sick world
lost in a wasteland world
the first one
trapped in a dark world
and now it's sickness
weak in a sick world
so verse 17
some were fools
through their sinful ways
and because of their iniquities
they suffered affliction
they got ill
and sick
verse 18
they lost their appetite
they loathed
any kind of food
one of the
common symptoms
of sickness
and they drew near
to the gates of death
death
pictured like a city
with gates
and they got so close
that the gates
were beginning to open
and any second now
they were going to die
and that's what it was
to be like that
you think of the
slaves in Egypt
with the diseases
of Egypt
you think of the
exiles in Babylon
you think of the
Lord Jesus
sick all the way
until the gates
of death
opened for him
and us
with inward
weakness
so verse 19
then they cried
to the Lord
in their trouble
he delivered them
we've heard this before
haven't we
he delivered them
sorry I've got
the wrong story
but it's much the same
where are we
no I've got the right story
I'm getting in a muddle
verse 19
that's right
we're in the right story
they cried
he delivered them
he sent out his world
he healed them
from their sickness
he delivered them
and so they're
to thank him
verse 21
and be grateful
for his love
that's the third story
so this is someone
I understand
I know God loves me
when I was sick
and now I'm better
I was talking to a student
at a church student house party
just a week ago
and he was telling me
a fit strong man
he was telling me
about his brother
who's played rugby
schoolboy rugby
for England
fit strong man
suddenly taken ill
and according to the doctors
when he was operated on
he was overseas
he was operated on
the doctor said
he was within an hour
of dying
suddenly
the gates of death
were opening
so close
but now he's strong
he's back to health again
so you see
that's how I know
God loves me
because there have been times
when I've been ill
and sick and weak
and now I'm strong again
and now I know
God loves me
or is it
let's park that
and go on to the fourth one
here's the fourth one
verses 23 to 32
we might want to call this
something like
scared
in a dangerous world
so verse 23
some went down
to the sea
in ships
doing business
on the great waters
and as we read
the description
it's both a literal
description
of a storm
and a metaphorical
description
of a storm
so they went
to the sea
in ships
verse 23
and they saw
the deeds
of the Lord
verse 24
and you think
that's nice
his wondrous works
in the deep
until you see
what they are
verse 25
he commanded
he raised the stormy winds
there was a gale
a severe gale
a hurricane
lifted up the waves
of the sea
and you picture this
terrible storm
at sea
and they mounted up
to the heaven
as they went up
to the top
of these huge waves
and down to the depths
in between
the waves
and their courage
melted away
they were scared
they were terrified
in their plight
and they reeled
and staggered
you can see them
can't you
on the deck
holding on
as if they were drunk
it's so terrifying
and they're at their
wits end
and it's both literal
and metaphorical
there's a prophecy
in Isaiah
which describes
Jerusalem
at the time
of the exile
as being
a storm
tossed city
lash with storms
and it wasn't
literally that
but metaphorically
it was that
and the storm
is the time
when you're
chugging through life
and life
seems quite stable
and you've got
your diary
or your planner
and what you plan
to do tomorrow
more or less
happens tomorrow
and the day after
it more or less
happens
and the storm
hits
when what you thought
you were going to do
tomorrow
doesn't happen at all
the storm hits
when suddenly
there's a sickness
suddenly there's
a terrible diagnosis
suddenly there's
a death
suddenly there's
a redundancy notice
suddenly there's
a breakdown
of some precious
relationship
and the storm
hits
and suddenly
you don't know
where you are
you thought you
were on solid ground
and now everything's
moving around you
and you just don't
know where you are
and you're holding on
you might as well
be drunk
you're holding on
and you're at
your wits end
that's the picture
so you think of
the slaves in Egypt
you think of
the exiles in Babylon
you think of
the Lord Jesus
on the sea of Galilee
with this life
threatening storm
on this small
fishing boat
threatening
threatening to kill
him
and all
his friends
so what happens
well again
verse 28
they cry to the
Lord
he delivers them
from their distress
he makes the storm
still
think of the Lord
Jesus standing up
on the front of the boat
be quiet
shut up
tells the wind
and the waves
shut up
and they do
and they're still
they're stilled
and they're hushed
verse 29
and verse 30
they're glad
that the waters are quiet
they get to their haven
they get to the harbour
so verse 31
they thank God
verse 32
they extol him
and they say
what a great God
now I know
he loves me
I wasn't so sure
but now I know
now the storm
is stilled
he loves me
and if you're
a thoughtful person
as I'm sure you are
you'll be thinking
to yourself
this preacher
is being mischievous
are you thinking that?
you think this preacher
is being a little bit
mischievous?
this preacher
is deliberately
being mischievously
shallow
this preacher
is saying
the times you know
God loves you
are the times when
your appetites are fulfilled
rather than when
you're in the desert
the times when
you're strong
rather than sick
the times when
you're free
rather than trapped
in darkness
the times when
you're on solid ground
rather than being
washed around by storms
that's how you know
God loves you
and you must be saying
hang on a minute
because we're
we're not all English
but even those of us
who aren't English
are being enculturated
to Englishness
or Welshness
but anyway
Britishness
and sort of
politeness
but if we had a
different culture
you'd have been
interrupting me by now
wouldn't you?
you wouldn't have been
saying preach it
pastor
you know
like the Jamaicans
would
you'd be saying
hang on a minute
stop
that can't be right
what about those times
when Christian people
feel lost
and they're hungry
and thirsty
literally
or in other ways
when they have
appetites
that are not satisfied
what about those times
when
Christian
people
feel trapped
and in darkness
and go through times
of darkness
what about those times
when Christian people
get sick
and die
what about those times
when Christian people
are tossed
by storms
what's with the love
of God then?
I don't think you've
quite got the point
of the sermon
so let's have a look
at the surprise
verse 33
there's a
the closing section
is very surprising
verse 33
we've had these
four stories
and verse 33
he
that is God
turns rivers
into a desert
and you say
hang on a minute
Mr. Psalmist
haven't you made
a mistake
isn't that a typo
I thought
bad things happened
and then God
did the good stuff
but now you're
telling me that
God turns rivers
which are good
and life giving
into deserts
and I thought
deserts were bad
springs of water
to thirsty ground
fruitful land
into salty ground
like Sodom and Gomorrah
where nothing grows
because of the evil
but you hang on in there
verse 35
when you find the desert
he turns it into
pools of water
and you think
ok it's going to be
like Disney
it's going to work out
ok
parched land
springs of water
hungry people live there
their appetites
are fulfilled
verse 36
there's a city
they can live there
verse 37
they sow fields
the vineyards
there's harvests
they multiply
more and more people
healthy
happy
smiling
Disney
verse 38
and then you read on
to verse 39
and it all goes wrong
again
verse 38
there's no diminishing
everything's going well
shares are going up
portfolios are going up
the footsies going up
everything's going up
house prices going up
everything's happy
verse 38
verse 39
suddenly they're diminished
it's all gone bad again
they're brought low
through oppression
bad government
evil
sorrow
and God pours contempt
on princes
proud
people
makes them wander
in trackless wastes
just like at the beginning
of the psalm
but then he raises up
the needy out of affliction
he makes their families
like flocks
so it's good again
and upright people
who believe
they see it
they're glad
and wickedness
shuts its mouth
it's got nothing
to say
and then you have
the conclusion
think about it
so let's think
about it
together
here's the thing
and this is the one
thing I'd love you
to take away
if you've drifted off
and you've been
thinking about
yesterday's rugby
or I don't know what
you know
yesterday's rugby
is sort of up and down
isn't it
unless you're
Scottish
or Italian
in which case
it's all down
but if you're
kind of
Welsh or Irish
or English
yesterday was an
up and down
kind of day
wasn't it
in the rugby
so if you've
drifted off
and you've been
thinking about that
just come back
for a moment
and think of this
the psalm
is about the
steadfast love
of God
the psalm is saying
God's love is
unchanging
the psalm is saying
in Old Testament
language
what we know
in the New Testament
that if you're a
Christian
I'm a Christian
you have a
heavenly father
who's loved you
from all eternity
who loves you now
who's demonstrated
that love
in the coming
and the death
of the Lord Jesus
who pours that love
into your heart
by the Holy Spirit
and who will love you
to all eternity
and whose love
for you is
unchanging
so what's the psalm
saying
surely it's saying
this isn't it
what would you
expect
you expect
times which feel
like the desert
but in the end
God will bring you
to a city
you expect
times which feel
like prison
and darkness
but in the end
you'll be free
you expect
times
of sickness
perhaps death
but in the end
you'll have life
you expect
times of chaos
of the storm
at sea
but in the end
there'll be stability
it's what the Lord
Jesus trusted
that in those times
his heavenly father
loved him
as he had always
loved him
and would always
love him
so let me try
and earth this
we had a
Carolyn and I
had a strange
summer
last summer
so in
June
my elderly
father
was taken
ill
in the end
of March
and in June
he died
it was very
sad
I grieved
deeply
in August
our lovely
daughter
got married
it was a really
happy day
we love her to bits
we love our new
son-in-law to bits
it was a blissfully
happy day
and it seems to me
the point of the
psalm is this
God's love
for me
for the sake
of example
was no different
on the day
our daughter
got married
which was a day
of smiles
and laughter
than his love
for me
on the day
I saw my father
fade away
and die
his love for me
was unchanging
his love for me
was enduring
his love for me
is steadfast
and although
there will be times
if we're Christian
people
when we do not
feel that
there will be times
of desert
and darkness
and sickness
and weakness
and chaos
and
when it
you think
I don't
I find it hard
to feel
that God loves me
but the point
of the psalm
is if we're wise
we get to the end
and we listen
to these stories
and we think
these stories
demonstrate
that God's love
is unchanging
and at the end
of the story
on that great day
that resurrection
morning
when the
new Jerusalem
comes down
the new heavens
and the new earth
and we
live
with God
with the Lamb
at the centre
and there's no more
sea in Bible imagery
no more chaos
that day
we shall
know
as we can know
by faith now
that God's love
for you and for me
is unchanging
so if you're not
a Christian
believer
I'd love to invite
you to join us
to follow Jesus
and I want to say
to you that
if you do that
you will have
times of desert
and darkness
and sickness
and chaos
but in
and through them
all
you will be able
to say
I know
I have a heavenly
father
who has loved me
from all eternity
I know
I'm in Jesus
his son
who has died
for me
I know
the Holy Spirit
pours that love
into my heart
and I know
that the love
of this heavenly
father for me
given to me
in Jesus
brought to my
heart by the
Holy Spirit
I know
that this love
is unchanging
I know
that he has
loved me
from before
the world
began
I know
that he
loves me
now
and I know
he will
love me
forever
sometimes
I'm a
typical
eeyore
and if there's
any possibility
of being gloomy
I'm in
you know
gloominess
I'm in
like eeyore
but even I
sometimes
am walking
to work
full of gloom
and I say
to myself
I find myself
saying to myself
against my
eeyore nature
Christopher
you have a
heavenly father
who has loved
you from all
eternity
who loves you
now
who will love
you forever
and whose love
is unchanging
that is a
wonderful thing
to know
and it's a
wonderful privilege
to be a man
or woman
or child
in Christ