WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.480 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:10.620 Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:17.000 I'll be back with you this week. I wanted to thank you for your prayers for me and for my family. 00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:22.900 God has been very kind to us through study leave and a little bit of vacation together. 00:00:23.059 --> 00:00:26.679 We have loved that. It's been a really rich time. 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:34.679 Thank you for praying for us. And I'm back, but I'm back to introduce someone else to you to preach this morning. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:39.840 And I'm delighted. Many of you already know him. He's been here and preached for us several times. 00:00:40.019 --> 00:00:49.179 This is Reed Jones. Reed and his wife Kelly have been here in Huntsville for a few years now doing Reformed University Fellowship at UAH. 00:00:49.879 --> 00:00:54.920 That's our denomination's college campus ministry, Reformed University Fellowship. 00:00:54.920 --> 00:01:11.340 We have college ministers, campus ministers on these campuses, pastors who are ordained by our presbyteries and sent to these campuses to minister to our students and to other students to proclaim the gospel there on the campus. 00:01:11.579 --> 00:01:16.659 And Reed has been doing that and God has used him in great ways on the campus of UAH. 00:01:17.379 --> 00:01:21.000 He's also used him in the lives of many pastors in Huntsville. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:26.780 He's a friend to us. He's an encourager to us. He's a partner with us in ministry. 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:30.780 And it's a real joy to get to do that together. 00:01:31.099 --> 00:01:34.439 So I'm delighted that he's going to open God's word for us this morning. 00:01:35.340 --> 00:01:38.560 But before I let him do that, I need to talk for a little while, don't I? 00:01:39.780 --> 00:01:44.780 One of the things we've been doing this summer is we've been talking through the different elements of our worship service. 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:47.420 And why are these things a part of the worship service? 00:01:47.960 --> 00:01:51.219 This morning, I wanted to just talk to you for a minute about preaching. 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:53.680 And you may think, well, that's silly. 00:01:54.180 --> 00:01:57.780 I mean, you may need to explain why you have a call to worship or a profession of faith. 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.140 But we all know there's going to be a sermon. 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:05.140 And what else would you guys do all week if there was no sermon coming up on Sunday? 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:09.419 But it's actually an important thing for us to consider. 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:16.759 What does it mean that we would come and that we would sit under the word of God regularly and week in and week out? 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:18.460 Why do we do that as part of worship? 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:26.560 It's because the God we've been worshiping as the great one, the mighty one, the king over all has spoken to us. 00:02:27.259 --> 00:02:30.539 He has a message for us, his people. 00:02:30.659 --> 00:02:32.039 He's given us his word. 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.579 We are people of the book, we sometimes say. 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:43.759 When we open up God's word, we are not opening it up to evaluate it, to give our thoughts about it. 00:02:44.399 --> 00:02:47.359 We don't come on Sundays to hear men speak. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:52.280 There's lots of places you can go hear people talk, say lots of good things and good ideas. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:59.519 In a worship service, we come and bow ourselves before God and ask him to speak to us. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:03.340 That his Holy Spirit would speak through his word. 00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:07.020 So Reed will at some point, you will, won't you? 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:15.420 Reed, the Bible, he's going to read us from Psalm 19 and then he is going to explain God's word to us. 00:03:15.660 --> 00:03:18.879 He's not saying what Reed thinks would be a good thing to say. 00:03:18.980 --> 00:03:23.100 He's going to explain to us what God has for us. 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:25.199 That's part of our worship. 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:30.479 That's giving a lot of value when you think about placing yourself underneath someone and saying, 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:34.659 I'm willing to listen to you and have my life shaped by the words that you say. 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:40.699 That's a big act of trust and even worship, isn't it? 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:44.199 That's what we do in worship when we come to God's word. 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:47.159 He speaks, yes, through a man. 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:51.340 But he speaks and we listen. 00:03:52.259 --> 00:03:59.060 We should expect that the voice we hear, even if it's a familiar one, someone we know well or one we haven't heard before, 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:04.859 is God speaking to us by his spirit through his word. 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:09.800 That's why we come week after week and sit under God's word. 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:11.840 It has authority over us. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:14.280 God speaks to us through it. 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:18.000 And so it's with great anticipation of hearing him speak. 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:21.319 Sorry, Reed, to kind of let you down on that. 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:25.519 But that we have Reed come and open God's word for us this morning. 00:04:25.779 --> 00:04:28.680 I wanted to tell you this on a week that I wasn't preaching. 00:04:29.540 --> 00:04:33.740 So that you would know I mean that no matter who steps into this pulpit, 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:35.600 he's going to open God's word. 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:37.959 And that's what we're looking forward to hearing. 00:04:38.340 --> 00:04:39.379 I hope that's your heart. 00:04:39.699 --> 00:04:41.360 I hope that's your joy and your excitement. 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:42.860 Reed may bore you to tears. 00:04:42.860 --> 00:04:45.100 No, he's a lot more interesting than that. 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:50.240 He's going to communicate God's word well, but what he's going to do is communicate God's word. 00:04:50.780 --> 00:04:51.920 And that's what's most important. 00:04:52.080 --> 00:04:54.960 So look forward to that as Reed comes and opens God's words for us. 00:04:59.280 --> 00:05:00.040 Thank you, Will. 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.639 That was the most intense intro I've ever experienced. 00:05:05.220 --> 00:05:06.580 That's good. 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:09.839 And we're going to pray for a minute and ask God to do exactly that. 00:05:10.979 --> 00:05:13.620 I did notice that Will did that on a week he's not preaching. 00:05:13.740 --> 00:05:15.919 I don't know if everybody else caught that, but that's good. 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:18.639 God does speak in this time, so we'll ask him to do that in a moment. 00:05:18.899 --> 00:05:25.159 Before we do, let me just very briefly, I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to tell you thank you. 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:36.380 Southwood, you remind me, I think similarly of you, of what I think Paul thought of the Philippians, at least in the intro to his letter to that church. 00:05:36.460 --> 00:05:44.200 He says, every time I remember you, I'm thankful to God for you because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:50.180 And that is so literally true for your ministry to us and to RUF at UAH. 00:05:50.420 --> 00:05:51.979 It's a ministry that you started. 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:57.219 It started out of your church and out of our presbytery when you called Brad and Caroline Tubasing. 00:05:57.860 --> 00:06:06.360 And then they were here for five years, and now we're beginning our fifth year at UAH, which means RUF is in its tenth year at UAH. 00:06:07.019 --> 00:06:13.180 And so this is a great year to celebrate all that God has been doing in and through RUF at UAH. 00:06:13.180 --> 00:06:15.019 And you are a part of that story. 00:06:15.579 --> 00:06:17.699 You have had hands-on ministry with us. 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:19.699 You've had financial support, prayer support. 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:22.959 And this year, I'm going to give you credit for something. 00:06:23.220 --> 00:06:28.120 And specifically, Chris Morris, I've told him this morning, I said, you get all the credit for this, all of it. 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:29.939 Sarah gets a little bit too, Sarah Nemitz. 00:06:30.460 --> 00:06:38.840 But this year, you have really transformed the way that we have local church partnerships in our ministry, hands-on ministry, 00:06:38.840 --> 00:06:41.600 not just supporting us financially and prayerfully. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:48.800 But I came through a conversation with Chris a couple years ago where he said, you know, what can we actually do? 00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:51.760 What can we really do with you on the campus? 00:06:51.939 --> 00:06:59.200 And the Expressing Grace Conference or whatever it's called, Experiencing, Expressing, is it Expressing Grace? 00:06:59.379 --> 00:06:59.540 Okay. 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:07.020 The whole emphasis of that conference is how do you as a church get involved in the ministries that you support? 00:07:07.080 --> 00:07:07.680 And I love it. 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:14.220 And it's shaped us because now we've asked other churches to basically adopt events every year. 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:16.960 Like you do the shrimp boil for us, our biggest event of the year. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:18.360 And we have hands-on. 00:07:18.460 --> 00:07:20.540 We have families who bring food to our events. 00:07:20.660 --> 00:07:23.140 We have families who host small groups in their homes. 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:25.439 That all changed because of your conference. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:28.899 So thank you for shaping our ministry in a huge way. 00:07:29.979 --> 00:07:31.120 Really grateful for you. 00:07:31.180 --> 00:07:33.139 We're looking forward to this 10th year at UAH. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.779 Our ministry is growing and expanding and our staff is growing. 00:07:36.979 --> 00:07:40.180 You can pray specifically for JD as he raises money. 00:07:40.300 --> 00:07:42.259 This is a guy coming on staff with us this fall. 00:07:42.339 --> 00:07:46.099 So we'll have two interns and me on campus, which I'm excited about. 00:07:46.139 --> 00:07:46.860 You can pray for him. 00:07:46.860 --> 00:07:51.259 He needs to finish raising his money in the next three weeks in order to move. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.360 So that's a specific prayer need for now. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:53.920 Okay. 00:07:54.060 --> 00:07:59.960 Let me pray and ask God to do that exactly what Will introduced and said that God does. 00:08:00.020 --> 00:08:03.939 We're going to ask for the Spirit's help and then we're going to read Psalm 19 this morning. 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:10.620 God, I'm so thankful for Southwood's ministry in my life and our family's life. 00:08:10.860 --> 00:08:12.780 Thank you for their ministry on the campus of UAH. 00:08:12.779 --> 00:08:17.039 Thank you, Lord, for your word for us this morning. 00:08:17.339 --> 00:08:18.259 It is your word. 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:22.219 It is true and right and authoritative and applicable to our lives. 00:08:23.339 --> 00:08:28.179 I pray that as we consider a passage that really speaks to that truth, 00:08:28.239 --> 00:08:33.860 that your word is applicable in our lives, that you, God, would speak. 00:08:34.860 --> 00:08:36.839 That you would apply these truths to our hearts. 00:08:36.939 --> 00:08:39.699 We are in desperate need of your word this morning. 00:08:39.700 --> 00:08:47.379 And so we pray that you would make it new and reveal to us how it points us to your Son. 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:52.660 We ask that the words of my mouth, the meditations of our hearts together, 00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:55.800 would be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our rock and redeemer. 00:08:55.940 --> 00:08:58.340 We ask in Jesus' name and for his glory we pray. 00:08:58.660 --> 00:08:58.900 Amen. 00:09:00.540 --> 00:09:01.340 Psalm 19. 00:09:01.340 --> 00:09:05.320 To the choir master, a psalm of David. 00:09:07.019 --> 00:09:11.680 The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:15.800 Day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:19.259 There is no speech nor are there words whose voice is not heard. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:24.720 Their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:30.139 In them he has set a tent for the sun which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber 00:09:30.139 --> 00:09:33.759 and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 00:09:34.899 --> 00:09:38.160 Its rising is from the ends of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them 00:09:38.160 --> 00:09:40.720 and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 00:09:42.300 --> 00:09:46.700 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:51.560 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:55.639 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:09:56.679 --> 00:09:59.599 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 00:09:59.699 --> 00:10:02.459 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:07.919 The rules of the Lord are right and true and righteous altogether. 00:10:09.379 --> 00:10:13.259 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold. 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:17.159 Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:22.199 Moreover, by them is your servant warned, and keeping them there is great reward. 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:25.059 Who can discern his errors? 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:28.919 Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:32.100 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. 00:10:32.779 --> 00:10:34.959 Let them not have dominion over me. 00:10:35.959 --> 00:10:39.339 Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. 00:10:39.340 --> 00:10:48.200 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:53.300 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our Lord will stand forever. 00:10:53.299 --> 00:11:01.959 Have you ever become friends with someone that you kind of knew from the distance, and then you really got to know them? 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:08.759 Maybe somebody who had impacted your life, and you didn't really know them, but they had impacted your life, affected your life by their work, 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:12.399 and then you actually really get to know them personally. 00:11:13.319 --> 00:11:17.159 And I've had this experience a couple of times since I've been an RUF campus minister. 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:22.659 A couple of guys who kind of in the RUF world that I had known about for a long time and heard about, 00:11:22.740 --> 00:11:29.339 and their life had affected me by their work, but I didn't know them personally, and I've had the honor of getting to know them. 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:31.539 The first is a guy named Kevin. 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:38.879 And when I was in college quite a few years ago, I would have considered myself an amateur musician. 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:42.500 Now I'm probably a former amateur musician. 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:43.600 I think I've gone backwards. 00:11:44.179 --> 00:11:45.959 These guys are professionals. 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:49.019 I would play a little music with our campus ministry. 00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:52.600 It wasn't RUF, but I would help lead the music back then. 00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:57.560 And one of the names that came up a lot on the sheet music that we were playing was Copyright Kevin Twitt. 00:11:58.120 --> 00:11:59.879 Copyright Kevin Twitt, Copyright Kevin Twitt. 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:01.220 And we were leading a lot of songs. 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:05.740 We just had one this morning, the last song that we sang sat at the bottom, Copyright Kevin Twitt. 00:12:06.280 --> 00:12:11.460 And so I saw this name for years, and I learned later that Kevin Twitt is an RUF campus minister. 00:12:11.560 --> 00:12:12.160 He still is. 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:14.139 He's at Belmont, just up the road from us. 00:12:14.139 --> 00:12:19.799 And over the last few years, Kevin Twitt has moved from Copyright Kevin Twitt to my friend Kevin. 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:24.960 There's a difference in knowing someone by their works and knowing someone by their words. 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:29.340 The other is a guy that you've had in your pulpit, Les Newsome. 00:12:29.860 --> 00:12:32.059 Les was a conference speaker and an author. 00:12:32.179 --> 00:12:36.500 He wrote one of the best books I've ever read, and I still use it with students all the time, called The Enduring Community. 00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:41.899 I'd known of Les Newsome for a long time, and he had impacted me by his works. 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:44.059 And now Les is literally my boss. 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:45.080 He's my mentor. 00:12:45.259 --> 00:12:46.759 I'll have lunch with him this week. 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:49.100 There's knowing someone by their works. 00:12:49.220 --> 00:12:50.519 There's knowing someone by their words. 00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:53.100 Why all the name dropping this morning? 00:12:53.659 --> 00:12:55.279 To show you how important I am. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:00.639 But also, because this psalm traces out that movement exactly. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:08.379 It traces out the movement of knowing someone by their works, knowing God by his works, and then knowing him by his words. 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:12.419 And so I want to work through that movement this morning, and that's basically my outline. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:16.819 I want to go from creation's declaration to the law's revelation. 00:13:16.820 --> 00:13:25.580 The first six verses show how God's creation alone reveals his glory, and it is available for everyone. 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:29.080 The heavens declare the glory of God in verse 1. 00:13:29.180 --> 00:13:31.240 The sky above proclaims his handiwork. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:35.040 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 00:13:35.860 --> 00:13:40.280 When we look at the skies, we see God's glory on display. 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:52.539 When we consider, as Will prayed this morning in the intro prayer, when we think about the ocean, and the mountains, and the trees, and nature itself, it screams that there's a creator. 00:13:55.079 --> 00:14:03.699 Charles Spurgeon, the famous megachurch Baptist preacher before there were megachurches, you know, the Lord used him in mighty ways. 00:14:03.700 --> 00:14:13.560 But one of the things that scholars have talked about a lot over the recent years is how Spurgeon dealt with depression in his life and as a result of some of the things in his ministry. 00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:23.700 And one of the ways that he dealt with his own depression is he would literally, this isn't the only thing to do to deal with depression, and we're going to talk a little bit about that in a second. 00:14:23.800 --> 00:14:28.200 But he would say, to fight against the depression that I felt, I would walk outside. 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:34.180 There's something about nature that has this healing process in our lives. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.220 We start to see that life is much bigger. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.440 That's when you look at the ocean and the mountains, you see the distances. 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:44.500 We have students, obviously, at UAH and people in this room who are studying space. 00:14:45.400 --> 00:14:48.400 You've committed your lives to exploring the distances. 00:14:49.020 --> 00:14:52.840 And the more we know, the more we just are in awe. 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:57.020 Creation screams creator. 00:14:57.019 --> 00:15:00.199 That there's someone behind this whole thing. 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:07.279 To deny that is to deny something that is natural and noticeable deep down within us. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:13.860 Paul says that to deny God's existence is basically to suppress the truth that we all have. 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:18.120 And that's what creation does in our hearts is it shows us the creator. 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:27.000 I had a seminary professor who illustrated that denial by saying to look out at nature and then to deny that there is no creator. 00:15:27.019 --> 00:15:31.679 It's like trying to sit on a beach ball in the middle of the ocean. 00:15:32.500 --> 00:15:33.139 Picture it. 00:15:34.079 --> 00:15:37.679 He said it's kind of like you're bouncing on the ball and acting like it's not there. 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:40.220 And then eventually it's going to pop out. 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:43.980 That's what creation does. 00:15:44.079 --> 00:15:44.779 It screams creator. 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.620 It's the common language as David gets at here in verse 3. 00:15:47.620 --> 00:16:00.779 Ultimately, as we look at creation, we are without excuse. 00:16:02.700 --> 00:16:06.919 God is making us aware of His power and of His wisdom in His creation alone. 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:09.340 This is what theologians often call general revelation. 00:16:10.060 --> 00:16:11.620 And it's something that everyone has been given. 00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:16.120 But just getting to know God by His works is one thing. 00:16:17.259 --> 00:16:19.560 There's also getting to know Him by His words. 00:16:20.379 --> 00:16:22.639 And that's where verse 7 begins to take us. 00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:26.799 I don't know if you felt this as I read through this earlier. 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:30.360 Verse 7 to me feels like a very unnatural transition. 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:40.120 Because David goes from all of this very excited creation revealing the bridegroom leaving the chamber. 00:16:40.519 --> 00:16:43.060 And by the way, have you read the Word lately? 00:16:43.820 --> 00:16:47.580 And it just feels like you're talking to someone who doesn't know how to carry on conversations. 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:54.159 You have those people in your life where they just kind of keep switching subjects in the middle of every sentence. 00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:57.460 If you don't have those people in your life, you might be one of them. 00:16:57.460 --> 00:17:00.180 Psalm, we've got a few in our ministry. 00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:01.580 They're not here this morning, guys. 00:17:02.019 --> 00:17:03.700 I see some of our students out here. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:04.440 It's not you. 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:08.380 But that's what verse 7 feels like to me. 00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:09.680 It just feels so unnatural. 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:12.400 And so I want to take the time to work through this transition. 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:16.000 Because I think the whole point of the psalm is in that transition. 00:17:17.220 --> 00:17:18.100 Here's the connection. 00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:19.660 Begin to paint it. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:24.340 David uses a lot of words in 7 through 10 that are a lot of synonyms. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:24.960 You picked it up. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:29.759 It's kind of like reading a small version of Psalm 119 in those verses, right? 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:35.920 He talks about the law and testimonies and precepts and commandments and rules, all these things. 00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:38.140 So what are those words pointing to? 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:42.680 They're all different words to some degree, but they're pointing to the same thing. 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:50.700 They're all Old Testament designations for God's covenant document that He presented to His people in Moses' day. 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:56.900 These are covenant language synonyms for God's revealed word to His people Israel. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:17:59.220 Let me build on that a little bit more. 00:17:59.539 --> 00:18:06.200 If you look at the first six verses, notice the name of God that is in those six verses. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.960 If you have your Bibles open, it's God. 00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:10.940 It comes up once. 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:11.860 God. 00:18:11.860 --> 00:18:11.920 God. 00:18:12.980 --> 00:18:19.779 Behind that name is Elohim, which is really more of a common designation for the powerful one. 00:18:20.100 --> 00:18:23.640 It was actually used of false gods as well, the same word. 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:27.320 But in 7 through 10, there's a different designation for God. 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:28.320 Do you see the difference? 00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:30.279 Let's have a little audience participation. 00:18:30.860 --> 00:18:32.940 What name is given to God in verses 7 through 10? 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:34.480 The Lord. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:34.880 God. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:36.160 God. 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:37.819 And then a transition, the Lord. 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:39.640 Comes up over and over again. 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:42.620 The four letters in all caps in our translations typically. 00:18:43.120 --> 00:18:46.860 And as you know, it points us to God's revealed name to His people. 00:18:47.099 --> 00:18:47.779 It's Yahweh. 00:18:48.539 --> 00:18:55.039 Or if you're from a small town, southern Baptist church in South Alabama like me, Jehovah. 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:56.019 Right? 00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:57.519 It's Yahweh. 00:18:57.620 --> 00:18:59.440 God's revealed name to His people. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:03.460 So here's the point. 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:13.400 The God who created all of that, the God who's behind this amazing creation that screams that there's a creator, that God has a name. 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:15.600 And He has a people. 00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:19.779 And His name is Yahweh and His people is Israel. 00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:29.799 What God is saying is, I've given you my creation to notice me by, but now I'm giving you my word to know me by. 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:34.599 There's knowing someone by their works and there's knowing someone by their word. 00:19:34.819 --> 00:19:39.240 And that's what the testimonies, the laws, the precepts, the commandments are all pointing us to. 00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:46.039 They are God's character being revealed and recorded and passed down from generation to generation. 00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:50.940 And this is what we now have preserved for us in God's word. 00:19:50.940 --> 00:19:58.940 Now finalized and canonized, we have the laws of God, the commandments of God, the precepts. 00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:02.080 It is right and it is final. 00:20:02.360 --> 00:20:07.700 And as I tell our students every week in RUF, it is authoritative and it is applicable to our daily lives. 00:20:08.080 --> 00:20:10.279 Because God speaks here. 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:12.720 Which is why we preach. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:19.299 You now get a chance to not just listen to the music, but to see Him compose the lyrics in your life. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:27.779 You now get a chance not to just read the final story, but see how He's continuing to write through His application of the word in your life. 00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:30.019 This is why we need verses 7 through 10. 00:20:31.500 --> 00:20:36.660 Notice which areas of our lives can be impacted by God's word and are being impacted. 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:38.960 Look at just 7 and 8 if you have it there. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.579 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:46.700 That's one area of your life that's affected by God's word. 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:51.880 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple wisdom like mind. 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:56.400 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:20:56.980 --> 00:20:59.220 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 00:20:59.299 --> 00:20:59.880 Do you hear it? 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:06.620 Heart, soul, mind, eyes. 00:21:06.619 --> 00:21:10.539 It sounds very similar to an answer Jesus gave. 00:21:11.659 --> 00:21:13.839 Someone asked Him, what's the greatest commandment? 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:23.279 He said, the first is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength. 00:21:23.419 --> 00:21:29.399 God's word shows us how to do this, and God's word brings this out in us. 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:42.380 Every part of you can be influenced and enlivened, invigorated, and awakened by God's words, His testimonies, His commandments. 00:21:44.040 --> 00:21:46.680 It is reviving, making wise, rejoicing. 00:21:46.860 --> 00:21:51.660 Now, I don't want you to just hear me say, now go read your Bibles. 00:21:51.660 --> 00:21:59.080 I want us to see the power of God's word in our lives, because I'm guessing you could use this more than you realize. 00:22:00.080 --> 00:22:00.900 And I could too. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:03.000 Let me give you some examples. 00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:07.960 Are you trying to figure out kind of the next move in your life? 00:22:09.420 --> 00:22:14.960 Something's going on at work, you're trying to figure out the next move with your career, the next position. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:21.000 You're trying to make ends meet, you're worried about your finances, you don't know what's ahead. 00:22:21.059 --> 00:22:22.700 We deal with this with students all the time. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:25.819 They are stressed out about their co-ops and their internships. 00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:30.319 Consider the testimony of the Lord. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:33.700 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:38.640 Maybe that's not you. 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:40.960 Maybe your soul is anxious. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:43.059 You're fearful. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:46.880 You're not getting the rest you need. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:51.740 Your mind is always wandering and wondering, and you are worried. 00:22:52.660 --> 00:22:53.579 Or you're exhausted. 00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:55.019 Consider the testimony. 00:22:56.140 --> 00:22:57.420 The law of the Lord, actually. 00:22:57.500 --> 00:22:58.759 The law of the Lord is perfect. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:01.019 Reviving the soul. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:05.480 Or maybe you're going through a difficult season in your life. 00:23:05.600 --> 00:23:06.880 You're full of doubts. 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:09.059 You've been hurt by someone. 00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:14.640 Or maybe you're in the middle of a season, like Spurgeon, of depression. 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:17.319 Or deep anxiety. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:19.160 Consider the precepts of the Lord. 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:20.819 The precepts of the Lord are right. 00:23:21.620 --> 00:23:22.680 Rejoicing the heart. 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:27.799 Listen, these are not just band-aid solutions. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:32.900 Just covering up problems and pretending they're not there. 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:38.860 But instead, God's Word goes underneath the problems and shows us what's actually behind them. 00:23:39.860 --> 00:23:44.780 Because the reality of the problem often behind our anxiety isn't a future issue. 00:23:44.920 --> 00:23:46.240 It's a present issue. 00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:49.280 It's a trusting God in the present problem. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:56.700 Or maybe the issue behind our relationship problem in our life is that it's not that we don't know what to do with this particular person. 00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:03.339 It's that we aren't really believing that God's put them in our lives so that we would know more of His character and love for us. 00:24:03.339 --> 00:24:11.279 Or maybe the problem behind our anger isn't just we don't believe God is in control. 00:24:11.379 --> 00:24:14.079 It's actually that we do believe He's in control and we wish we were. 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:16.519 There's issues underneath the issues. 00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:17.599 Let me work it out this way. 00:24:18.699 --> 00:24:25.259 About a year ago, this time a year ago, our grass started turning brown, not green. 00:24:25.779 --> 00:24:29.199 When all of our neighbor's grass was very green, ours was very brown. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:31.319 And it wasn't a water issue. 00:24:31.620 --> 00:24:33.019 That's the case right now. 00:24:34.080 --> 00:24:36.960 But last year, it just turned brown very quickly. 00:24:37.120 --> 00:24:41.940 And Kelly kept noticing caterpillars in our driveway. 00:24:42.120 --> 00:24:43.600 And she was like, have you seen these caterpillars? 00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:44.819 They just kind of keep showing up. 00:24:44.900 --> 00:24:45.700 And I'm like, caterpillars? 00:24:46.100 --> 00:24:47.759 Is that even a thing this time of year? 00:24:47.860 --> 00:24:49.360 And I kind of brushed it off. 00:24:49.980 --> 00:24:54.759 And then like a couple days passed and she's like, I see them. 00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:57.000 And now I actually see them in the yard a little bit. 00:24:57.100 --> 00:24:58.120 And there's a bunch of them. 00:24:58.119 --> 00:25:00.139 Some of y'all might be ahead of me on this. 00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:01.479 We didn't have caterpillars in our yard. 00:25:01.539 --> 00:25:02.559 We had army worms. 00:25:03.059 --> 00:25:03.959 You ever had army worms? 00:25:04.579 --> 00:25:05.399 It's awful. 00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:07.619 It really is terrible. 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:13.299 We have a very small yard and very quickly about 10,000 army worms ate our grass. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:16.419 You would look at like a square foot like this. 00:25:16.479 --> 00:25:17.639 Is that about a square foot? 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:18.959 That's here. 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:19.839 Square foot. 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:23.419 And you would look and there would be about 150 army worms in a square foot. 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:27.500 And what they do is they go underneath the surface and they start chewing on the root 00:25:27.500 --> 00:25:28.279 of the grass. 00:25:28.440 --> 00:25:29.779 And so it starts to turn brown. 00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:32.480 It's dying from underneath the surface. 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:38.720 So we had to call somebody and pay them money to come and kill our army worms. 00:25:39.120 --> 00:25:39.300 Okay. 00:25:39.840 --> 00:25:40.920 That was our yard. 00:25:41.320 --> 00:25:42.900 And it's also our hearts, isn't it? 00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:46.400 Below the surface, there's something else going. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:51.040 On the surface, anger, lust, fear, whatever. 00:25:51.259 --> 00:25:52.259 All this is up here. 00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:55.560 Underneath the surface, something is killing us. 00:25:56.660 --> 00:25:59.920 How do we get underneath God's Word? 00:26:00.580 --> 00:26:06.240 It's what goes underneath and begins to dig away and tear away that which is causing us 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:07.759 to miss the heart of God. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.380 This was the premise behind one of the books I read this last semester. 00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:13.620 It's called The Cry of the Soul. 00:26:13.700 --> 00:26:15.380 I would highly recommend this book. 00:26:15.380 --> 00:26:19.580 It's written by a theologian and a counselor together. 00:26:20.320 --> 00:26:21.380 It's called The Cry of the Soul. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:25.920 And the whole premise of the book is they talk about the emotions of our hearts are where 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:31.660 we see where we have and where we are missing the heart of God, especially our negative emotions. 00:26:31.860 --> 00:26:32.480 Think about this. 00:26:33.540 --> 00:26:38.980 Our negative emotions like fear and jealousy and anger and despair and shame, those emotions 00:26:38.980 --> 00:26:43.060 actually show us where we are missing the heart of God in our lives. 00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:45.200 They're revealing something. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:49.500 They call them mirrors through which we see where we're missing the heart of God. 00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:52.440 And that's why I love these verses. 00:26:52.579 --> 00:26:55.599 They're pointing us to see how God's Word goes underneath the surface. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:02.579 It is perfect in reviving the soul, living and active, leaving nothing hidden. 00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:16.819 The psalm moves from creation revealing God's glory and power to His revelation revealing His power and direction, 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:18.299 among other things in our lives. 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:19.899 And it ends with this confession. 00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:25.600 Psalm 19 was C.S. Lewis' favorite psalm. 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:32.780 I know that because he told me one time in his own words and the reflections on the psalms. 00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:39.100 And he said the reason he loved this psalm is because of that awkward transition that I brought up earlier. 00:27:39.740 --> 00:27:42.440 He made a point that I didn't see any other theologians make. 00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:47.180 He says the connection, the thing that helps us understand the whole meaning of this psalm, 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:53.240 the answer to why David moves from creation to revelation. 00:27:54.140 --> 00:27:58.440 He says the key phrase on which the whole poem depends is verse 6. 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:02.059 That there is nothing hidden from the sun's heat. 00:28:03.580 --> 00:28:04.480 Think about this. 00:28:04.620 --> 00:28:07.960 Nothing can ultimately hide from the sun's shine, right? 00:28:07.960 --> 00:28:09.519 The sun comes out. 00:28:09.620 --> 00:28:11.279 It scatters the darkness away. 00:28:12.340 --> 00:28:14.539 Everything is exposed for what it is. 00:28:14.600 --> 00:28:18.680 The sun reveals, but the sun also brings life. 00:28:18.819 --> 00:28:21.120 It heals that which is exposed. 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.740 The sun reveals and the sun heals. 00:28:22.819 --> 00:28:24.019 So here's Lewis' point. 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.259 He says, 00:28:25.740 --> 00:28:29.279 Then at once in verse 7, remember the weird transition, 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:34.160 he is talking of something else which hardly seems to him like something else 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:38.460 because it is so like the all-piercing, all-detecting sunshine. 00:28:39.420 --> 00:28:41.019 The law is undefiled. 00:28:41.340 --> 00:28:42.300 The law gives light. 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:43.779 It is clean and everlasting. 00:28:44.019 --> 00:28:44.680 It is sweet. 00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:47.880 As he has felt the sun perhaps in the desert, 00:28:48.040 --> 00:28:51.860 searching him out in every nook of shade where he attempted to hide from it, 00:28:52.860 --> 00:28:54.620 so he fills the law, 00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:59.460 searching out all the hiding places of his soul. 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:01.200 Do you hear it? 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:07.740 As the sun reveals, scatters darkness, and heals, 00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:13.440 God's law expressed in his word for his people reveals, 00:29:14.299 --> 00:29:16.140 it scatters the darkness, and it heals. 00:29:16.840 --> 00:29:20.160 And that's why it is so sweet and desirable 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:23.059 and so necessary for our lives. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:28.400 And so where our emotions start to point us to where we are missing the heart of God in our lives, 00:29:28.400 --> 00:29:32.780 God's word then comes and meets those very places in the void 00:29:32.780 --> 00:29:35.120 and shows us where we can find him. 00:29:35.180 --> 00:29:37.480 It brings light into those dark places. 00:29:37.620 --> 00:29:39.040 This is what the reformers taught, 00:29:39.259 --> 00:29:41.120 that the law of God shows us our sin, 00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:43.840 and it shows us what God has done about our sin. 00:29:44.780 --> 00:29:47.200 And David's response in these last few verses 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.500 is him praying that God would do that in his own heart, 00:29:51.259 --> 00:29:52.740 through his word, 00:29:52.860 --> 00:29:55.300 that he would search him and heal him. 00:29:55.299 --> 00:29:57.879 The confession begins in verse 11. 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:17.940 What is he saying? 00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:24.160 He is begging for God to send the all-detecting sunshine of his word 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:27.160 to show him where he is missing him. 00:30:30.100 --> 00:30:34.940 And that he would bring healing and life into those very places. 00:30:36.820 --> 00:30:39.980 And I think for anyone who comes to God with that kind of honest confession, 00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:41.180 God responds. 00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:44.500 David believes that. 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:48.839 There is this hopeful, almost a guarantee, 00:30:48.839 --> 00:30:50.960 that I know this is going to happen. 00:30:51.160 --> 00:30:54.299 And the reason I say that is because there's a lot of emphasis in those verses 00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:59.900 on declare me innocent from hidden faults, 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:01.859 I shall be blameless. 00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:04.759 He believes that something is going to happen 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:06.940 in order for this to happen in his heart. 00:31:08.460 --> 00:31:10.880 He's confessing that, yes, I need to be cleansed, 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:15.380 but I understand that something has to come from the outside in for me to be cleansed. 00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:18.900 I'm in need of a declaration, 00:31:19.120 --> 00:31:23.060 but there has to be something provided for me to be declared innocent. 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:24.440 So what is he counting on? 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:26.120 He's counting on a sacrifice. 00:31:27.420 --> 00:31:30.100 These last few verses are sacrificial language. 00:31:30.820 --> 00:31:33.220 The whole thing about be pleasing in your sight. 00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:34.920 Declare me innocent. 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:37.720 This is sacrificial language. 00:31:37.720 --> 00:31:42.380 In other words, David is counting on a future sacrifice being made for him 00:31:42.380 --> 00:31:45.059 so that he would be in right standing with God 00:31:45.059 --> 00:31:47.400 and that his heart would be clean. 00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:51.960 And we all need to come to God this morning 00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:53.759 with the same confession. 00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:56.539 Declare me innocent. 00:31:57.559 --> 00:31:58.620 Receive my offering. 00:31:59.259 --> 00:32:02.839 But the big question for us is how does God declare us innocent? 00:32:04.460 --> 00:32:06.460 What kind of offering does he receive? 00:32:06.460 --> 00:32:11.120 Well, David was looking for some future sacrifice 00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:12.460 to be made on his behalf, 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:15.220 and there were literal sacrifices that were made on his behalf. 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:19.019 But we look back on a final sacrifice 00:32:19.019 --> 00:32:20.840 that has been made on our behalf. 00:32:22.120 --> 00:32:23.960 Here's, I think, the point of Psalm 19. 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:27.299 Psalm 19 thrusts us forward 00:32:27.299 --> 00:32:30.019 to see God's glory in his creation, 00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:33.579 but specifically to see the glory in the one 00:32:33.579 --> 00:32:35.779 to whom the creation points us toward. 00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:39.139 The glory and grace revealed in his son, Jesus Christ. 00:32:40.179 --> 00:32:44.259 Psalm 19 points us to see God's revealed word for his people, 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:47.199 how he meets our deepest needs, 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:49.759 but specifically how he meets our deepest need 00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:52.099 in the one to whom the word pointed to, 00:32:52.179 --> 00:32:53.980 the one who was the word, 00:32:54.319 --> 00:32:55.539 Jesus Christ himself. 00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:58.859 Isn't that how John's gospel opens up for us? 00:32:58.859 --> 00:33:02.000 In the beginning was the word. 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:06.339 And the word was with God, 00:33:06.379 --> 00:33:07.740 and the word was God. 00:33:08.419 --> 00:33:10.719 He was in the beginning with God. 00:33:10.859 --> 00:33:12.399 All things were made through him, 00:33:12.439 --> 00:33:15.719 and without him was not anything made that has been made. 00:33:16.059 --> 00:33:17.139 In him was life, 00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:19.359 and that life was the light of men. 00:33:19.439 --> 00:33:20.919 The light shines in the darkness. 00:33:21.219 --> 00:33:21.839 Do you hear it? 00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:24.319 And the darkness has not overcome it. 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:25.259 And later, of course, 00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:28.259 John tells us that the word became flesh 00:33:28.259 --> 00:33:30.000 and dwelt among us, 00:33:30.259 --> 00:33:31.919 and we have seen his glory. 00:33:33.500 --> 00:33:36.019 Glory as of the only Son from the Father, 00:33:36.159 --> 00:33:37.579 full of grace and truth. 00:33:40.259 --> 00:33:43.019 Work and word. 00:33:44.919 --> 00:33:46.859 Light scattering darkness. 00:33:46.859 --> 00:33:49.179 Revelation and healing. 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:53.139 All there pointing us to one. 00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:57.059 The personification of God's work 00:33:57.059 --> 00:33:59.379 and God's word revealed 00:33:59.379 --> 00:34:01.359 in his Son, Jesus Christ. 00:34:04.700 --> 00:34:07.259 The covenant language of the Scriptures, 00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:08.699 as we said earlier, 00:34:08.860 --> 00:34:10.319 those words were pointing us 00:34:10.319 --> 00:34:11.799 to God's revealed word 00:34:11.799 --> 00:34:13.639 for his specific people, Israel. 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:15.639 And now in Jesus, 00:34:16.139 --> 00:34:18.119 we have God's revealed word 00:34:18.119 --> 00:34:19.900 to his people, the church. 00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:24.420 Meeting our deepest needs in Christ. 00:34:25.180 --> 00:34:26.900 And so how are we declared innocent? 00:34:27.539 --> 00:34:30.240 What sacrifice can we put our hope in? 00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:32.000 It's been provided. 00:34:34.260 --> 00:34:36.240 What means has God given for us 00:34:36.240 --> 00:34:37.360 to be declared innocent 00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:38.400 and made blameless? 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:40.720 Jesus Christ was innocent. 00:34:41.720 --> 00:34:44.180 And all of our blame was put on him 00:34:44.180 --> 00:34:46.139 when he was put on the cross. 00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:49.199 The source of all of our anxiety. 00:34:50.199 --> 00:34:53.739 The reason behind all of our fears. 00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:56.039 All of our guilt. 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.019 Put on Jesus. 00:34:59.059 --> 00:35:03.839 So that we may be declared innocent. 00:35:06.879 --> 00:35:09.739 This is how our sacrifice is received by God. 00:35:09.739 --> 00:35:11.819 By a perfect offering 00:35:11.819 --> 00:35:13.199 through his Son. 00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:18.019 He is, as the final line says, 00:35:18.119 --> 00:35:19.799 our rock and our redeemer. 00:35:20.659 --> 00:35:22.039 Therefore, he is our only hope. 00:35:23.099 --> 00:35:23.979 He is our rock, 00:35:24.919 --> 00:35:26.779 which is our refuge. 00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:28.519 The thing that takes the hit 00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:30.339 so that we can stand up under it. 00:35:32.339 --> 00:35:33.679 And he is our redeemer. 00:35:34.379 --> 00:35:36.679 The one who secures our standing 00:35:36.679 --> 00:35:39.159 before God based on his own work 00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:39.899 and not our own. 00:35:40.899 --> 00:35:41.460 And so I don't know 00:35:41.460 --> 00:35:42.440 where you are this morning. 00:35:43.899 --> 00:35:45.859 I don't know where you're coming from 00:35:45.859 --> 00:35:48.239 or what you're coming here for. 00:35:48.839 --> 00:35:50.179 But I do believe God's Word 00:35:50.179 --> 00:35:51.039 can meet you there. 00:35:53.399 --> 00:35:54.879 You may have a heavy heart. 00:35:58.839 --> 00:35:59.839 You may be troubled 00:35:59.839 --> 00:36:01.259 by all the events in our world. 00:36:02.759 --> 00:36:03.579 You may be troubled 00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:05.059 by things going on in your own home. 00:36:05.059 --> 00:36:07.639 And you're looking for comfort. 00:36:09.099 --> 00:36:12.480 God's Word gives us comfort. 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:13.799 There are verses, of course, 00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:16.279 that speak to how God meets our needs 00:36:16.279 --> 00:36:17.500 and comes alongside us 00:36:17.500 --> 00:36:18.239 in our suffering. 00:36:18.739 --> 00:36:19.679 But ultimately, 00:36:19.860 --> 00:36:21.840 God meets our greatest needs 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:23.179 by comforting us 00:36:23.179 --> 00:36:24.980 with his own Son's death 00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:26.000 on our behalf. 00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:28.980 And he sends the comforter 00:36:28.980 --> 00:36:29.779 of the Holy Spirit 00:36:29.779 --> 00:36:31.860 to continually apply these truths, 00:36:31.860 --> 00:36:34.039 even in those dark days 00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:34.960 and those dark hours. 00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:36.059 Maybe you're coming 00:36:36.059 --> 00:36:37.460 with an anxious soul 00:36:37.460 --> 00:36:39.019 and you're looking for peace 00:36:39.019 --> 00:36:39.680 this morning. 00:36:41.039 --> 00:36:43.880 God's Word points us to peace 00:36:43.880 --> 00:36:45.800 and tells us the source 00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:47.800 of where our souls 00:36:47.800 --> 00:36:50.120 may find peace, 00:36:50.539 --> 00:36:51.220 but ultimately, 00:36:52.099 --> 00:36:53.760 it's revealed in his Son, 00:36:54.140 --> 00:36:55.039 the Prince of Peace, 00:36:55.539 --> 00:36:58.099 who settled all dispute 00:36:58.099 --> 00:36:59.480 between God and man 00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:01.019 when he took on the cross 00:37:01.019 --> 00:37:02.240 so that the Prince of Peace 00:37:02.240 --> 00:37:03.699 became our peace 00:37:03.699 --> 00:37:05.820 so that we can be with God. 00:37:06.820 --> 00:37:09.119 Or maybe you have a troubled mind. 00:37:09.240 --> 00:37:09.980 You are anxious, 00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:11.260 as we've talked about earlier. 00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:13.099 You need answers or direction, 00:37:13.619 --> 00:37:14.719 and God's Word gives it. 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:17.179 God's Word gives direction 00:37:17.179 --> 00:37:18.199 for our lives, 00:37:18.300 --> 00:37:18.920 but ultimately, 00:37:19.539 --> 00:37:20.579 God's Word points us 00:37:20.579 --> 00:37:21.179 to the One 00:37:21.179 --> 00:37:22.539 who tells us the point 00:37:22.539 --> 00:37:24.780 and purpose of our lives 00:37:24.780 --> 00:37:27.720 in whom all of God's promises 00:37:27.720 --> 00:37:29.640 for us are yes 00:37:29.640 --> 00:37:30.700 through Jesus. 00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:36.000 O soul, 00:37:36.100 --> 00:37:37.420 are you weary and troubled? 00:37:39.040 --> 00:37:42.040 No light in the darkness you see. 00:37:42.700 --> 00:37:44.019 There's light for a look 00:37:44.019 --> 00:37:44.760 at the Savior, 00:37:45.500 --> 00:37:47.800 a life more abundant and free. 00:37:48.540 --> 00:37:50.240 Let us turn to Him 00:37:50.240 --> 00:37:51.640 more and more even this week. 00:37:51.740 --> 00:37:52.220 Let's pray. 00:37:52.219 --> 00:37:55.899 God, I pray that You would 00:37:55.899 --> 00:37:57.139 apply these truths 00:37:57.139 --> 00:37:57.980 to our hearts. 00:38:01.579 --> 00:38:03.519 I am so often anxious 00:38:03.519 --> 00:38:04.399 and fearful, 00:38:05.759 --> 00:38:08.559 and Your Word continues 00:38:08.559 --> 00:38:09.959 to show us 00:38:09.959 --> 00:38:10.919 not only 00:38:10.919 --> 00:38:15.219 how we can find 00:38:15.219 --> 00:38:17.599 Your Spirit meeting 00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:19.039 our anxieties and fears 00:38:19.039 --> 00:38:19.939 and all these other 00:38:19.939 --> 00:38:21.019 negative emotions 00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:21.579 in our lives 00:38:21.579 --> 00:38:22.539 on a day-to-day basis, 00:38:22.659 --> 00:38:23.259 but how You have 00:38:23.259 --> 00:38:24.480 ultimately met them 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:26.039 through sending Your Son. 00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:30.460 Not so that we would 00:38:30.460 --> 00:38:31.619 have comfortable lives, 00:38:31.699 --> 00:38:33.199 but so that we would have 00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:35.440 the promises of God 00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:36.019 for us 00:38:36.019 --> 00:38:37.400 even in our discomfort, 00:38:37.599 --> 00:38:39.480 even in those troubling times. 00:38:39.619 --> 00:38:40.719 Apply these truths. 00:38:40.840 --> 00:38:41.940 I pray that as we walk 00:38:41.940 --> 00:38:42.719 into creation, 00:38:43.579 --> 00:38:45.019 we would want to express 00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:45.659 Your glory, 00:38:46.199 --> 00:38:47.440 and as we come to Your Word, 00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:48.259 that we would see 00:38:48.259 --> 00:38:49.599 how it points to Your Son. 00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:53.719 And that Jesus, 00:38:53.900 --> 00:38:54.739 You would be exalted 00:38:54.739 --> 00:38:56.699 as we wrestle with 00:38:56.699 --> 00:38:57.519 what these things mean 00:38:57.519 --> 00:38:58.539 on an individual level, 00:38:58.619 --> 00:38:59.400 on a family level, 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:00.319 even as a church, 00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:01.480 as a light shining 00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:02.079 into the darkness 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:02.900 of this community. 00:39:04.279 --> 00:39:05.739 I pray that You would use 00:39:05.739 --> 00:39:07.519 Southwood Presbyterian Church 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:08.000 in the lives 00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:09.579 of each of these folks. 00:39:10.279 --> 00:39:11.739 That through Sunday school 00:39:11.739 --> 00:39:12.839 and studies 00:39:12.839 --> 00:39:14.079 and youth group 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:14.960 and all the different 00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:15.559 opportunities 00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:16.420 in Sunday worship 00:39:16.420 --> 00:39:17.719 where we open up Your Word, 00:39:17.719 --> 00:39:18.619 that You would continue 00:39:18.619 --> 00:39:19.539 to speak to us 00:39:19.539 --> 00:39:20.519 in each of those settings. 00:39:21.639 --> 00:39:22.799 Apply Your Word, 00:39:22.879 --> 00:39:23.699 Your revealed Word 00:39:23.699 --> 00:39:24.480 to Your people 00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:25.759 whom You love. 00:39:25.839 --> 00:39:27.239 We ask in Jesus' name. 00:39:30.919 --> 00:39:32.059 For more information, 00:39:32.439 --> 00:39:33.359 visit us online 00:39:33.359 --> 00:39:34.659 at southwood.org. 00:39:34.659 --> 00:39:36.699 on a family Sunday florist. 00:39:36.699 --> 00:39:37.719 on a family visit here today. 00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:39.779 you