WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.860 I think this is a long reading, but it's very appropriate, right? 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:06.660 Because what did we just hear? 00:00:06.820 --> 00:00:09.759 A thanksgiving service, a call to worship. 00:00:09.939 --> 00:00:11.419 Come on, let's give thanks to the Lord. 00:00:11.419 --> 00:00:15.500 And then all these different groups thanking God for what he has done for them, right? 00:00:15.780 --> 00:00:19.699 How he has been good to them, how he has rescued them from their distress. 00:00:20.219 --> 00:00:22.359 All these desperate situations. 00:00:23.400 --> 00:00:24.660 It's so wonderful to hear. 00:00:25.660 --> 00:00:27.800 I don't know if you can relate to all of them. 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:29.719 I mean, people in the desert wandering. 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:32.020 It was a bit different life back then, of course. 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:33.079 Maybe the people in prison. 00:00:33.219 --> 00:00:37.140 I don't know how it was like in lockdown, but people in prison desperate to get out. 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:38.380 Maybe that's how it feels. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:42.939 That is what, yeah, people are celebrating here. 00:00:43.020 --> 00:00:44.079 They gather together. 00:00:44.480 --> 00:00:47.820 People share and they give thanks for what God has done. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:50.380 But, of course, there's a lesson to us there. 00:00:50.480 --> 00:00:57.519 And so I thought if we look at this psalm, actually, what should we learn from all these testimonies, all these things that we've just been hearing? 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.400 So why don't I pray again that God would speak to us? 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:06.540 Our Father, thank you so much for your word for this psalm and for you. 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:11.540 We pray that you would speak to us and show us your glory and help us to trust you this coming year. 00:01:11.600 --> 00:01:12.320 In Jesus' name. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:13.240 Amen. 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:17.959 Now, there's one common thread through all these stories. 00:01:18.099 --> 00:01:19.899 I mean, the way the reading brought it out, right? 00:01:19.919 --> 00:01:22.359 It's always God rescuing his people. 00:01:23.339 --> 00:01:24.119 But why? 00:01:24.259 --> 00:01:26.339 What is this psalm about? 00:01:27.119 --> 00:01:32.439 Well, as you've heard, it's very repetitive, but let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, right? 00:01:32.939 --> 00:01:35.280 What should we see from God? 00:01:35.399 --> 00:01:36.919 There's lots of things you can see, of course. 00:01:36.979 --> 00:01:37.519 His power. 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:38.280 His mercy. 00:01:39.099 --> 00:01:46.159 Actually, as we hear these stories, as we hear the testimonies just now, well, this is about God's steadfast love. 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:50.439 Verse 1, let him thank, you know, give thanks to the Lord for he is good. 00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:52.280 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:01:52.820 --> 00:01:55.939 And in every story, let him thank the Lord for his steadfast love. 00:01:56.500 --> 00:01:59.780 And in the last verse, whoever is wise, let him attend to these things. 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:03.620 Let him consider the steadfast love of the Lord. 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:06.880 God is a God of steadfast love. 00:02:07.579 --> 00:02:10.060 And that's what I wanted to spend time thinking of today. 00:02:10.140 --> 00:02:12.759 That as we've looked back, now it's time to look up. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:15.259 Look up at God's steadfast love. 00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:16.659 Now, what is steadfast love? 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:18.560 It's one of those real Bible words, right? 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:20.420 The Hebrew word gesed. 00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:22.379 What is steadfast love? 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:27.300 It's unconditional, committed, covenant love. 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:31.200 It's when you're, you know, you've committed to someone and you stay with that commitment. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:34.219 I think the easiest illustration is marriage, right? 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:39.280 Marriage is a covenant and ideally a proper marriage. 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:41.619 Well, you are committed to that marriage. 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:44.759 You show steadfast love, love that doesn't change. 00:02:45.339 --> 00:02:50.060 I think the problem with the world is, of course, that often that's not how most marriages work these days, right? 00:02:50.099 --> 00:02:57.280 Usually you fall in love and here's someone who's really beautiful and you want to spend more time the rest of your life with them. 00:02:57.359 --> 00:02:58.739 And that's why you marry them. 00:02:58.740 --> 00:03:02.260 And the only thing is, what happens when that changes? 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:05.800 What happens when the person is no longer attractive? 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:08.460 Well, then they are no longer in love. 00:03:08.640 --> 00:03:10.960 And, well, the marriage has lost its foundation. 00:03:11.920 --> 00:03:14.379 And often the marriage is then over, right? 00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:16.140 But that is not real marriage. 00:03:16.260 --> 00:03:18.400 Real marriage is I do. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:20.460 It's about my commitment, right? 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:21.620 For better, for worse. 00:03:21.900 --> 00:03:23.080 In sickness and in health. 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:24.719 For richer, for poorer. 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:27.580 That is steadfast love. 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:30.000 That is God's unchanging commitment. 00:03:30.740 --> 00:03:33.500 And that is what we should see here. 00:03:33.760 --> 00:03:38.720 You know, God's commitment to his people to always bring them out of trouble for us. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:43.120 That's, you know, we've had quite a year, but God has remained committed to us. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:49.659 Now, of course, when we talk about God's unchanging love for us, some people misunderstand that. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.319 Some people think it means I must have a very easy life, right? 00:03:53.379 --> 00:03:54.520 If God always loves me. 00:03:54.980 --> 00:04:00.939 I mean, clearly in this psalm and clearly in some of our testimonies, it doesn't mean that we have an easy life. 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.540 These people were lost in the desert or stuck in prison or sick. 00:04:04.539 --> 00:04:08.179 And we've heard people who had the toughest year of their life. 00:04:09.239 --> 00:04:11.699 It also doesn't mean that how we live doesn't matter. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:16.120 For some people, they think if God always loves me, I can live whatever way I want. 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:19.920 These people couldn't live in every way they wanted. 00:04:20.039 --> 00:04:23.360 Because when they sinned, actually, that's when a lot of the trouble came, right? 00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:24.920 Why were people in prison? 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:26.439 Well, verse 11. 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:34.060 Why were people sick? 00:04:34.219 --> 00:04:36.600 Well, some were fools through their sinful ways. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:41.139 You know, it doesn't mean that if you had a tough year, that's because of your sin. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:44.959 It's not such a linear relationship. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:46.540 That was much more in the Old Testament. 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:49.379 But certainly, God cared about them. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:50.079 He loved them. 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:52.439 And so, he didn't want them to remain in their sin. 00:04:54.819 --> 00:04:56.420 It's the same for marriage, by the way. 00:04:57.300 --> 00:05:02.120 You know, marriage, being committed to someone doesn't mean that they can just live whatever way you want, 00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:05.240 whatever way they want, and don't have to change. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:06.459 Of course, we love each other. 00:05:06.920 --> 00:05:09.360 You know, if someone sins, you want to help them change. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:16.699 But the thing is, in marriage and in our relationship with God, commitment is there. 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:19.339 God is always committed to us. 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:24.120 And no matter how much you struggle, no matter how much you fail, no matter how much you sin, 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:27.660 no matter the mess in your lives, God keeps loving you. 00:05:27.740 --> 00:05:29.139 And his love is unchanging. 00:05:29.139 --> 00:05:37.259 That's why he is always there for you, because of his unchanging covenant love. 00:05:37.860 --> 00:05:39.219 And that is what we want, right? 00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:44.000 I mean, again, with marriage, what is it like the other way? 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:50.199 If you are the person who is loved, surely you want someone who keeps on loving you, right? 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:56.980 Again, if someone loves me because I'm so funny, then there's a pressure on me to stay funny the rest of my life, 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:58.360 which is very difficult. 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:04.600 If someone loves you because you're beautiful, then you have a lot of pressure to stay beautiful. 00:06:06.280 --> 00:06:07.800 Imagine if God is like that, right? 00:06:07.819 --> 00:06:10.420 That God loves us because we've got our lives sorted out. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:14.480 And then we have a very tough year, and it gets messed up with COVID and the fifth wave. 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:16.560 And suddenly God stops loving us. 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:23.600 Or he loves us because we were pretty good, but actually this year we've fallen into some really sinful habits 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:25.420 that we're still trying to make free from. 00:06:25.420 --> 00:06:28.960 How terrible, then, if God would stop loving us, right? 00:06:29.640 --> 00:06:31.400 The pressure to keep it up. 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:35.240 When I was at London Underground, I had a colleague of mine. 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:37.500 He did not want to get married. 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:42.100 He had a girlfriend, but if he got married, then he had to stay with her. 00:06:42.180 --> 00:06:44.379 And now he wanted to be able to get out whenever he could. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:45.920 That poor girl. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:47.840 So much pressure on her. 00:06:47.900 --> 00:06:50.420 She had heart problems, so she had to go in and out of hospital. 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:56.360 And she was constantly afraid that it was too much work for her boyfriend and he would leave her. 00:06:57.740 --> 00:07:05.600 You know, if God was like that, and he could dump us at any time, how could we go into the next year? 00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:09.180 But that is not what God is like. 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:10.980 God won't dump us. 00:07:11.020 --> 00:07:12.379 He will stay committed to us. 00:07:12.379 --> 00:07:16.339 I mean, that is, in a way, the background to this psalm. 00:07:16.500 --> 00:07:18.519 The psalms, this is near the end of the book. 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:21.300 The psalms were compiled in light of the exile. 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.740 We've heard about the exile maybe a few times the past few weeks. 00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:29.719 You know, the people of Israel, they had some very tough times in their history. 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:36.040 After a hundred years in the land with all their sin and idolatry, at some point God kicked them out. 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:40.660 And the Babylonians came and they burned the city and they burned the temple. 00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:43.600 And all the people were taken away as slaves to Babylon. 00:07:44.080 --> 00:07:45.379 And they lost everything. 00:07:45.819 --> 00:07:47.120 And they lost their homes. 00:07:47.480 --> 00:07:48.660 They lost their community. 00:07:48.820 --> 00:07:49.680 They lost their freedom. 00:07:49.840 --> 00:07:51.340 They lost their possessions. 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:53.000 They lost their God. 00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:54.300 They lost everything, right? 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:59.560 And they were there in Babylon and wondering, does God still love us? 00:07:59.620 --> 00:08:00.900 Is there any hope for us? 00:08:00.899 --> 00:08:07.599 And, well, they read the psalms and they compiled the psalms into the book it is now. 00:08:08.159 --> 00:08:09.279 Actually, there is hope. 00:08:09.379 --> 00:08:10.019 What is that hope? 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:11.919 God's steadfast love. 00:08:12.500 --> 00:08:13.759 God is committed to us. 00:08:13.919 --> 00:08:15.560 And his love never changes. 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:17.120 He loves us. 00:08:17.539 --> 00:08:19.519 And so we can rely on him. 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:21.359 And what does that mean? 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:25.659 Well, ultimately that means not just that he loves us now. 00:08:26.859 --> 00:08:29.459 Ultimately, that also means we will go home. 00:08:29.459 --> 00:08:32.559 That's the other thing in this psalm. 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:33.699 We've been looking up. 00:08:33.939 --> 00:08:34.559 We've been looking back. 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.439 We've been looking up at God's steadfast love. 00:08:36.539 --> 00:08:37.840 But what does that mean? 00:08:38.379 --> 00:08:41.480 Well, we look forward and one day we will go home. 00:08:42.439 --> 00:08:45.199 And this psalm has a big layer of going home. 00:08:45.319 --> 00:08:46.779 I mean, going home is what you want, right? 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.879 If you're in exile, if you are in Babylon, where do you want to go? 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:51.639 You want to go home. 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:53.939 And all these stories. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:55.100 You're wandering in the desert. 00:08:55.220 --> 00:08:56.019 Where do you want to go? 00:08:56.059 --> 00:08:56.759 You want to go home. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:08:58.439 You're locked up in prison. 00:08:58.439 --> 00:08:59.240 Where do you want to go? 00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:00.000 You want to go home. 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:01.620 Because what is home? 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:03.240 Home is your community. 00:09:03.460 --> 00:09:04.240 Home is your family. 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:05.460 Home is where you belong. 00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:07.519 Home is with God, right? 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.120 That is where you want to be. 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:15.200 And so at the end of this psalm, actually, we stopped the Thanksgiving stories. 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:20.180 And we got these verses about God and his control of the land. 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:24.359 Because the land, that is for Israel back then what they wanted. 00:09:24.359 --> 00:09:33.219 And it's those beautiful verses that come from like Isaiah about what God, yeah, about living in the land. 00:09:33.319 --> 00:09:35.099 So verses 35 to 38. 00:09:35.100 --> 00:09:36.100 He turns a prayer. 00:09:36.100 --> 00:09:38.220 He turns a desert into pools of water. 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:40.920 A parched land into springs of water. 00:09:41.100 --> 00:09:43.180 And there he lets the hungry dwell. 00:09:43.379 --> 00:09:45.680 And they establish a city to live in. 00:09:46.180 --> 00:09:49.980 They sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.460 By his blessing, they multiply greatly. 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:55.120 And he does not let their livestock diminish. 00:09:56.019 --> 00:09:58.139 For them, that was the good life. 00:09:58.139 --> 00:09:59.620 This is their dream. 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:00.580 Being back home. 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:02.720 A fruitful land. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:04.240 Being together. 00:10:04.860 --> 00:10:06.159 God is back with them. 00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:07.759 And everything is wonderful. 00:10:08.439 --> 00:10:09.159 Going home. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:12.019 And isn't that what we also want, right? 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:14.740 We want, in a way, we are still in exile. 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:17.179 The exile of Genesis 3. 00:10:17.980 --> 00:10:19.759 The fall, the broken world we live in. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.039 Don't we want to go and be with God? 00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:24.759 Don't we want to have all the troubles being over? 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:27.100 Well, it will happen. 00:10:27.419 --> 00:10:27.899 One day. 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:28.939 One day. 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:30.699 Well, we're not going home. 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:33.500 Jesus will bring our home to us when he comes back. 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:35.179 And that is our hope. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.819 I mean, in a way, today is, you know, New Year's Day. 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:40.779 And we think 2023. 00:10:41.220 --> 00:10:43.019 And I really hope we'll have a wonderful year. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:45.279 I hope we'll have a great year. 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:48.100 The only thing is, the year has changed. 00:10:48.139 --> 00:10:49.340 But nothing else has changed, right? 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:51.279 The world is still broken. 00:10:51.939 --> 00:10:52.960 That hasn't changed. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:55.080 I haven't changed. 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:56.840 It's not like when the clock struck midnight. 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:58.340 My sinful nature disappeared. 00:10:58.580 --> 00:10:59.399 It didn't. 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:00.060 Right? 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:02.399 And so, we are still sinners in a broken world. 00:11:03.680 --> 00:11:09.120 It will still be, yeah, good chance that 2023 will be like 2022. 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:11.379 But it won't last forever. 00:11:11.379 --> 00:11:14.679 One day, Jesus will come in his steadfast love. 00:11:14.779 --> 00:11:17.440 We know that because he's committed to us. 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:19.620 He's done everything for us. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:20.980 And he will bring us home. 00:11:20.980 --> 00:11:23.899 And so, that is our hope for this year, right? 00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:26.600 We've been thinking about God's faithfulness, God's love. 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:30.860 As we look at this year, actually, let's look beyond that. 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:34.460 Let's look that we are going to go home one day. 00:11:35.340 --> 00:11:36.940 God is a God of steadfast love. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.100 Well, why don't we spend some time reflecting on that? 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:42.639 In a moment, we'll celebrate communion. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:48.059 I mean, how are we, you know, where do we see God's commitment to us most clearly? 00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:50.580 Well, it's that his son died for us on the cross, right? 00:11:50.580 --> 00:11:54.159 How much more committed can you be to someone than giving up your life for them? 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:59.000 But before we do that, why don't we just take a minute and just pray. 00:11:59.559 --> 00:12:00.480 Pray on your own. 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:03.120 Remember God's steadfast love. 00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:04.019 Remember this year. 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:08.419 And pray that you would keep trusting his steadfast love in this coming year. 00:12:08.419 --> 00:12:13.839 And then I'll call us and I'll pray and then we'll have communion together. 00:12:38.419 --> 00:12:39.419 Amen. 00:13:08.419 --> 00:13:11.219 Amen. 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:19.679 Amen. 00:13:25.559 --> 00:13:28.419 Amen. 00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:43.819 Let's pray together. 00:13:44.819 --> 00:13:47.199 Father, thank you for your steadfast love. 00:13:47.899 --> 00:13:50.659 Thank you that your commitment to us is unchanging. 00:13:50.839 --> 00:13:51.559 We know our sin. 00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:52.899 We know our mess in our lives. 00:13:53.719 --> 00:13:55.099 And we know we don't deserve anything. 00:13:55.099 --> 00:13:56.459 And yet you gave your son. 00:13:57.099 --> 00:13:58.159 He died for us. 00:13:58.899 --> 00:14:01.000 And so your love for us is guaranteed. 00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:02.399 We pray that we would trust it. 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.000 We've seen it in history. 00:14:04.199 --> 00:14:05.259 We've seen it in our lives. 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:06.500 We've seen it in 2022. 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:11.819 And we know you will keep loving us this coming year and forevermore. 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:15.179 We thank you that you are this unchanging God. 00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:16.360 In Jesus' name. 00:14:16.659 --> 00:14:17.059 Amen. 00:14:17.059 --> 00:14:17.199 Amen. 00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:23.779 Hang on.