Well, let's begin our worship this evening. We're going to sing to God's praise. We're
singing in Psalm 46. As I said this morning, we were looking at the theme of coming to
seek the Lord, the invitation the Lord gives us to seek the Lord while he may be found,
to call upon him while he is near. And this evening, we're looking at the book of Hebrews
chapter 13. And when we think of seeking God and coming to God, we then ask ourselves, well,
what does God give to us? How do we go on with God? And we're going to look at one of the great
promises that God gives to us, that never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.
And this Psalm, Psalm 46, reminds us of that. God is our refuge and our strength and strength,
a present day. Therefore, although the earth remove, we will not be afraid. We've got the
promise there of God with us. So we'll sing from verse 1 to verse 7, and the tune is Bethesda.
Amen.
God is our refuge and our strength, which leads our present day. Therefore, although the earth
we will not be afraid. Though hills have met, the seas be afraid. Though hills have met, the seas be
be cast, the waters rolling may, and trouble be, yet o'er the hills, by swelling seas do shape.
God is our way in the mountains into the sea. That debt's the day. Glory be with us
God is yourน play optimization. Your ministry of our church. This night has met, you know,
Lord have met. And bless our heart who will ever be with us. Because our heart is a
place
where
in the
Lord
most high
at least
of
God
in
the midst
of
one does
dwell
nothing
shall
us
remove
the
Lord
to
us
and
help
our
will
and
that
right
early
through
the
even
rain
to
much
us
see
the
kingdom
smooth
and
where
the
Lord
God
up
to
read
his
voice
the
earth
is
man
for
fear
the
Lord
of
hosts
upon
our
side
the
Lord
constantly
remain
the
Lord
of
God
of
Jacob
of
the
refuge
are
simply
to
maintain
the
earth
God
let's
come to
God
in
prayer
let us
pray
Lord
our
gracious
God
as we
once
knew
unite
our
hearts
in
prayer
and
praise
to
you
we
thank
you
for
these
wonderful
promises
that
you
give
to
us
through
your
word
the
promises
that
are
so
many
they
are
almost
beyond
our
number
beyond
our
recognizing
just
how
amazing
how
beautiful
the
promises
are
that
you
give
to
us
and
deserving
as
we
are
we
thank
you
Lord
that
your
word
reminds
us
again
and
again
that
although
we
as
a
people
have
wandered
and
gone
astray
that
you
are
a
God
who
is
calling
back
that
you
are
a
God
who
is
telling
us
commanding
us
even
to
seek
the
Lord
while
he
may
as
we
have
these
challenges
to
us
as
we
have
the
invitation
of
the
gospel
put
before
us
so
often
we
thank
you
too
that
you
remind
us
of
what
it
entails
what
coming
to
you
means
that
we
come
to
you
as
a
God
who
is
not
just
holy
and
mighty
and
awesome
in
so
many
ways
that
we
could
see
you
as
beyond
our
understanding
but
that
you
are
a
God
who
desires
that
relationship
with
his
people
that
we
as
your
children
could
come
and
lay
before
you
all
our
burdens
calling
you
as
our
father
one
who
is
over
us
in
all
things
the
one
who
looks
after
us
the
one
who
loves
us
the
one
who
has
done
so
much
for
us
we
thank
you
that
in
the
psalm
that
we
have
sung
we
are
reminded
of
the
wonderful
presence
that
you
give
to
your
people
a
presence
that
comes
in
the
midst
of
all
our
circumstances
and
situations
in
life
a
promise
that
is
so
precious
to
your
people
day
after
day
that
we
could
sing
these
words
on you
every
day
and
just
wonder
and
marvel
at
the
meaning
of
them
that
God
is
our
refuge
and
our
strength
our
ever
present
aid
and
no matter
what
this
world
brings
our
way
that
you
are
the
we
go
from
here
this
night
and
into
the
week
before
us
and
whatever
we
are
doing
be it
in
our
quietness
of
our
own
private
devotions
be it
in
our
workplaces
in
our
homes
whatever
we
may
do
Lord
may
your
words
stay
with
us
in
our
minds
that
we
will
be
able
to
take
even
a
few
words
of
it
with
us
this
evening
and
meditate
upon
them
and
even
to
think
of
the
promise
which
we
will
be
studying
I
will
never
leave
you
or
forsake
you
may
we
know
the
wonder
of
that
promise
in
the
week
ahead
and
in
all
the
days
ahead
for
we
thank
you
that
is
a
promise
that
is
often
repeated
in
your
word
throughout
the
Old
Testament
and
the
New
Testament
we
find
that
it
is
a
promise
given
to
many
people
in
many
circumstances
and
that
it
is
indeed
for
all
your
people
as
we
go
on
in
life's
journey
that
as
we
put
our
trust
in
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
that
we
have
that
confidence
assurance
that
you
are
with
us
and
may
your
people
not
just
as
we
gather
here
in
your
name
but
as
we
tune
in
online
but
your
people
far
and
wide
throughout
the
world
may
they
know
the
wonder
of
this
promise
may
they
know
your
presence
with
them
for
we
thank
you
that
you
are
not
a
God
who
is
confined
that
you
are
not
a
God
who
as
we
were
thinking
of
this
morning
is
in
the
heavens
high
and
cannot
be
reached
that
you
have
come
to
us
that
you
have
come
down
from
heaven
that
the
word
has
become
flesh
and
dwelt
among
us
that
we
know
that
in
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
and
that
we
know
the
words
of
Jesus
even
as
he
said
as
he
would
go
from
us
that
he
would
leave
the
comfort
or
the
Holy
Spirit
to be
with
us
and
that
we
have
the
promise
for
always
even
to
the
end
of
the
age
and
so
surround
your
people
anew
this
night
Lord
may
you
hear
the
worship
of
your
name
and
the
praising
of
your
name
from
far
and
wide
tonight
as
we
thank
you
for
the
fact
that
you
have
your
people
near
and
far
that
you
are
building
your
church
and
so
bless
us
here
together
Lord
we
thank
you
that
as
we
can
come
to
know
you
through
your
word
that
you
already
know
us
that
you
know
our
every
thought
and
desire
and
motive
that
you
know
exactly
where
we
are
and
what
we
need
that
you
know
nations
and
all
that's
going
on
in
our
world
with
the
conflicts
that
surround
us
and
we
see
it
each
day
of
our
lives
just
now
we
see
tensions
rising
we
see
something
that
we
cannot
see
an
end
to
but
yet
Lord
we
thank
you
that
it
is
not
in
the
hands
of
man
but
in
your
hands
oh
Lord
and
that
there
is
a
reason
and
a
purpose
for
everything
even
the
things
that
we
cannot
understand
the
things
that
we
see
and
cause
so
much
pain
and
worry
and
fear
the
things
in
this
life
on
a
large
scale
that
concern
us
as
a
world
and
even
the
things
of
this
life
that
maybe
only
affect
ourselves
and
our
own
hearts
and
yet
cause
us
grief
and
pain
they
are
known
to
you
and
Lord
we
thank
you
that
you
are
the
one
who
is
able
to
bring
peace
that
you
are
the
one
who
is
able
to
bring
a
calmness
over
us
Lord
in
the
midst
of
it
all
and
we
just
pray
Lord
for
you
in
your
power
and
by
your
will
to
come
to
come
oh
Lord
and
show
yourself
in
a
mighty
way
to
this
world
that
we
would
bow
before
you
Lord
that
we
would
acknowledge
you
for
you
reminding
us
again
and
again
through
all
of
these
years
that
have
just
gone
past
in
the
midst
of
a
time
of
war
a
time
of
disease
a
time
of
the
virus
that
took
over
our
lives
for
so
long
in
this
world
and
brought
so
many
things
to
a
stand
still
Lord
you
have
spoken
and
yet
seemingly
we
haven't
listened
and so
Lord
we
pray
have
mercy
upon
us
that
you
would
do
us
good
Lord
and
not
bring
even
more
that
we
cannot
comprehend
but
bring
days
of
your
power
bring
days
of
salvation
brings
days
of
your
reviving
power
into
our
midst
we
pray
that
for
ourselves
and
for
the
generations
coming
after
us
Lord
that
we
would
see
a
world
where
your
glory
is
known
and
where
your
name
is
praised
Lord
we
commit
ourselves
now
into
your
hands
we
ask
that
you
will
be
with
us
Lord
and
bless
your
word
and
the
praising
of
your
name
may
we
lift
our
voices
to
you
and
praise
anew
this
night
that
you
are
God
and
there
is
no
other
help
us
to
look
to
you
help
us
to
rest
in
you
help
us
to
know
your
presence
continually
with
us
as
we
seek
your
face
at
this
time
and
we
come
anew
confessing
our
sins
oh
Lord
we
know
that
there
is
much
in
our
heart
that
we
would
long
to
change
and
we
thank
you
that
you
are
a
God
of
change
you're
the
one
who
is
able
to
shape
us
to
mold
us
to
right
the
wrongs
in
our
heart
to
rid
the
blemishes
to
bring
us
through
oh
Lord
even
the
purifier's
fire
to
know
that
cleansing
to
know
that
renewing
and
to
know
Lord
that
you
would
make
us
more
and
more
like
you
so
Lord
help
us
to
reflect
you
and
to
give
glory
to
your
name
and
surround
us
Lord
even
now
with
your
presence
as
we
ask
all
these
things
in
the
name
of
our
precious
saviour
Jesus
Christ
and
for
his
glory
Amen
we'll
again sing
to
God's
praise
we're
going to
sing in
Psalm 118
and sing
Psalms
version
page
155
we'll
sing from
verse 1
down to
verse 9
Psalm 118
page
155
at
verse 1
thank
the
Lord
for
he
is
good
his
steadfast
love
endures
always
now let
the house
of Israel
say his
love will
last
through
endless
days
verse 7
it says
the Lord
is with
me
constantly
he is
the one
who gives
me
aid
I
look
in
triumph
on
my
foes
I
will
not
need
to
be
afraid
we'll
sing
from
verse 1
to
9
to
God's
praise
and the
tune
is
Rockingham
oh
thank
the
Lord
for
he
is
good
his
steadfast
love
endures
always
now let
the house
of Israel
say
his love
will last
through
endless
days
and let
the house
of Aaron
say
his love
forever
will
endure
let
those
who
fear
the
Lord
declare
his
love
will
stand
forever
sure
I
cried
in
anguish
to
the
Lord
he
answered
me
and
set
me
free
the
Lord
is
with
me
I
will
not
fear
what
harm
can
people
do
to
me
the
Lord
is
with
me
constantly
he
is
the
one
who
gives
me
aid
I
look
in
triumph
on
my
foes
I
will
not
need
to
be
afraid
be
free
it's
better
far
to
trust
the
Lord
than
look
for
help
to
man's
defense
it's
better
to
man's
defense
it's
better
far
to
trust
the
Lord
than
in
a
prince
of
confidence
of
confidence
of
confidence
we'll
turn to
read
god's word
now in the book of
hebrews chapter 13
you find this around page 1 2 1 3 of the bibles
hebrews chapter 13 we're going to read from verse 1 down to verse 19
let's hear the word of god
let brotherly love continue do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares
remember those who are in prison as though in prison with them and those who are mistreated since you are you also are in the body let marriage be held in honor among all and let the marriage bed be undefiled for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have for he has said i will never leave you nor forsake you so we can
confidently say the lord is my helper i will not fear what man can do to me remember your leaders those who spoke to you the word of god consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith jesus christ is the same yesterday and today and forever do not be led away by diversion strange teachings for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace not by foods which have not benefited
benefited benefited benefited those devoted to them we have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp so jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood
outside the camp and bear the camp and bear the reproach he endured for here we have no lasting city but we seek the city that is to come through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to god that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name
do not neglect to do good do not neglect to do good to do good and to share what you have for such sacrifices are pleasing to god obey your leaders and submit to them for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you pray for us for we are sure that we have a clear conscience
things I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you
the sooner and so on. May God bless that reading from his word.
Before we turn back to this passage we're going to sing once again to his praise in Psalm 61,
the Sing Psalms version, page 78 of the psalm books. We'll sing from verse 1 down to verse 6.
Psalm 61 on page 78, the tune is Belmont. Oh hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.
From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me. We'll sing from verse 1 to 6 to God's praise.
Oh hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.
From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me.
Oh hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.
From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me. Oh God, conduct me to the rock that's high,
far than I. For you my refuge from the foe.
My power of strength on high. Oh let me dwell within your tent, forever there to live.
O Lord, the shelter of your wings. Oh Lord, the shelter of your wings. Oh Lord, the refuge which they give.
For you have held my foe. Oh God, and you have given me the heritage of those who fear.
Your name God, here may. Come to earth, my God.
On earth's берenten Rich anew. Oh my God, the refuge of the harbor.
Thank you.
We can turn back to our reading in Hebrews chapter 13.
We're going to look at verse 5 and 6, particularly together this evening.
Hebrews chapter 13, verse 5.
Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have.
For he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
So we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper.
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
When we think of God's promises, there are so many of them it's hard for us sometimes just to take them in
and just to think, well, what's my favorite promise that God gives to me?
When you think of them, you start numbering them.
You start going through them.
You just realize just how many there are and you're almost just scraping the surface the more that you go on.
But we are told that we are to hold on to these promises.
These promises should be precious more and more to us and hold them firmly and closely to us
because they are the promises that so often keep us going day by day
and keep us going through highs and lows in this life.
Now, some people have tried to study, go right through the scriptures
and just work out just how many promises of God there are.
Efforts have been made by reading right through and thinking,
well, there's a promise of God to his people.
There are various estimates as to how many promises there are.
Most would sort of narrow it down to around 8,000 promises that God gives to his people.
Now, some of them can sound very similar.
Some of them can be repeated again.
But nonetheless, they are still a promise that God gives in a time and in an experience for his people.
You think of that, 8,000 promises that God gives.
How many promises have you broken in your own life?
How many promises have you made to people and you've let them down?
And yet every promise that God gives to his people, they're secure and they've come to pass.
They are fulfilled in Christ.
The amazement of God's promises to us.
And when we think of songs and psalms that we sing, how many of them contain,
so many of the promises that God gives to us, which we sing through.
Many of the psalms, we sing promises that God has given us.
We think of many of the hymns that have been written.
We think of the promises that God has given.
There was one hymn written, standing on the promises of Christ, my King.
It's just a psalm that was written by someone who was in the midst of a period of ill health, grave ill health,
at the point where this person thought that they were going to die at around the age of 30.
And yet they survived and lived more than 40 years after that.
And yet this person wrote this hymn.
In the midst of that, given confidence, given assurance of God's help through his promises.
And just to quote some of the words from it, it says,
Is that how we live our own lives?
Do we live it in that way of standing on the promises of God, on the word of God,
and the confidence that that gives to us?
As you go through the scriptures, you find that the promises of God are so many and so varied.
From the beginning, when we see God's promise to Noah,
where he said,
Never again will I flood this world.
And you go through to the promise that Christ himself gives in John 14,
when he speaks of the fact that he is going to prepare a place for his people.
And when he says that, he says,
If I go to prepare a place, I will come again,
and I will take you to be with me where I am.
So you have almost the promises from the beginning right to the end,
and the promise that Christ gives to his people of a place,
and a time when he will return to take his people to him.
But think of that promise that Jesus gives,
that he goes to prepare a place,
and that he will come again.
When we think of what we were looking at this morning in Isaiah 55,
that wonderful, almost gospel passage in Isaiah 55,
where it's a great invitation,
Come to the waters, come all who are thirsty.
And then the verse we were looking at,
Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near,
that there's this urgency to come to the Lord while we have opportunity.
As I said this morning, we're going to think,
Well, what does it mean for us now?
What does that mean for us on a day-to-day basis?
We seek the Lord, we find the Lord, we love the Lord,
but what does he give us now?
And especially when you think of that text in John 14,
when he says,
I am going to prepare a place for you.
I am going away.
He says that to his disciples.
Now, another place, I am going away,
but I will leave my comforter, the Holy Spirit.
We often maybe start to think,
Well, where is he now?
Has he left us in the meantime?
Has he left us in the midst of all the dangers
and the turmoil that surrounds us,
all the anxieties and fears that come our way?
Has he just left us to go on blindly by ourselves?
And no doubt there are times when we maybe feel
that sense of isolation,
when we maybe feel that we're alone,
that we're struggling.
But has he left us?
Well, it comes back again to standing
on the promises of Christ our King.
And what is the promises that he has given to us,
repeated again and again and again through Scripture?
Well, one of the most wonderful promises
he gives to us as we look through Scripture
is that he has not left us
and that he will not leave us.
When you look at Scripture,
you find that it's constantly with us,
always there for us
when we put our trust in him.
And that this is true until he comes again.
Hebrews 13, verse 5,
is this promise that we're looking at together this evening.
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
And it's a promise, as we often see in Hebrews,
is quotes from the Old Testament.
And you go back to the Old Testament
and you find this promise given.
In particular, it was given to Joshua
at a time when he was taking over from Moses
as the leader of God's people,
as he was taking them on into the promised land.
Joshua was anxious.
He was fearful what this meant.
How could he do it?
Well, God gave him this promise
and he repeated this promise to him.
You read it in Deuteronomy 31, verse 8.
Moses assuring him,
the Lord goes before you and will be with you.
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be discouraged.
And then God himself gives him,
Joshua, that promise in Joshua 1, verse 5.
No one will be able to stand up against you
all the days of your life.
As I was with Moses,
so I will be with you.
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
You have that promise repeated.
And it's an often repeated promise to God's people.
When he calls his people back to himself,
he says, return to me and I will return to you.
I will be with you.
That sense of relationship that God has with his people.
You look at it in the New Testament context.
And Jesus, before he left this world,
before he ascended to God,
what did he say to his people as he left them?
He gave them a command.
He gave them a commission.
In Matthew 28, verse 19,
he said,
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And he gave them this promise, this assurance.
And surely I am with you always
to the very end of the age.
He gave them this promise.
And this is a promise that we have today ourselves.
That as we put our trust in the Lord,
we have this promise,
I will never leave you or forsake you.
And as in verse 6 it says in Hebrews 13,
it goes on to say,
So we can confidently say,
The Lord is my helper.
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
There is confidence that this promise brings.
The Lord is my helper.
The Lord has promised.
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
And the Lord often gives this promise
in the midst of challenging times.
And it's no different for ourselves today.
When we think of the world in which we live
and all the worries and concerns
that we see around us on a daily basis,
does not the word of God give us confidence?
Does not God's promise give us confidence?
Never will I leave you.
Never will I forsake you.
Not until the Lord returns.
But we want to just look at this promise
for a few moments together.
First of all, we're going to think
of the background to it.
And then we'll think of the promise itself.
And then we'll think of,
well, what kind of response does it call for?
So first we want to just see a little of
the background to this promise.
As you read through the book of Hebrews,
it's a book that's full of so much teaching
from the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is often quoted in it.
And it's a book that was written to the people
in the midst of various trials and tribulations
that they were experiencing in their lives.
And the writer to the Hebrews is urging the people
to maintain both their confession,
their confession that God is their Lord,
that they have this relationship with them,
but also that their confidence.
Confidence is a word that we will see
come up again and again throughout the book of Hebrews.
We'll look a little bit about that at the end
as we think of the response this calls for.
But it's about having a confidence in God.
And this confidence, as you see as you read through it,
is so often in light of their suffering.
For example, in Hebrews 10, verse 34,
it says,
You sympathized with those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property
because you knew that you yourselves
had better and lasting possessions.
There was this confidence in God.
Even though many of their people were in prison,
probably unjustly,
their property was being taken from them,
confiscated,
but they knew what they had.
They knew they had a kingdom belonging to God,
a kingdom that could not be shaken.
As again, you read as you go through the book of Hebrews.
And that's what the writer was doing.
He was bringing them to this point
where they would have this confidence
and this assurance,
based on this promise,
I will never leave you
and never forsake you.
And you find that as you come towards the end of Hebrews,
chapter 10 onwards,
there's a lot of kind of practical teaching for us.
In chapter 10,
you have a number of texts there
that we can be quite familiar with.
We've quoted one there in verse 34.
There's kind of, there's suffering,
but there's other verses too
that you think of,
the not neglecting to meet together.
In verse 25,
as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another
and all the more as you see
the day drawing near.
There is this call to worship
and this assurance,
this confidence that faith gives.
So you have that full assurance of faith
in chapter 10,
which then goes into chapter 11,
that wonderful passage
of the faith of God's people,
so many from the Old Testament.
the faith that they had
in the midst of so many different challenges.
Then you have chapter 12,
where we're encouraged to not grow weary,
but to run the race,
to run the race with patience,
looking to Jesus,
the founder and perfecter of our faith,
that we have one who we can look to,
one who is with us.
Then later on in Hebrews 12,
it says in verse 28,
therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom
that cannot be shaken,
let us be thankful
and so worship God acceptably
with reverence and awe,
for our God is a consuming fire.
We have this worship of God
and God seen as a consuming fire.
And this call to worship
is what follows on into chapter 13,
where we see it in practical ways
and practical experiences,
how our focus is still to be on God,
who is with us.
And verse 5 and 6,
as you're reading through chapter 13,
it may almost seem like an odd verse.
When you think of what it's talking about,
you see so many things
that the challenges of the people faced
in chapter 13,
so many of the challenges
that we face ourselves today,
challenges to love one another,
to have brotherly love,
to not neglect hospitality to strangers,
the fact that there is persecution,
the fact that there is lust
that can often so much rule our hearts,
the fact that there is a love of money
that takes people away from God.
And then as you go on past verse 6,
you've got the place of faith
and the word of God,
but also in the midst of false teaching.
And then it goes on to speak almost of
the leaders, the politicians of the day.
There's a whole host
and a variety of things
being spoken about there,
but they're not separate from our faith.
They're so often the challenges
to our faith
and the places where we think,
well, has God left us
in the midst of all of these challenges?
And so verse 5 and 6
are almost like a central point of
let's keep our focus on the Lord.
Remember, in the midst of all of these challenges,
of all these temptations that come our way,
the Lord, he will never leave us.
And so anything else that may seem that
this is what we need,
this is what will help,
no.
What we need is the one who has said,
I will never leave you or forsake you.
And when we have that,
we can confidently then say,
the Lord is my help.
There is a bit of the background
to this text.
Challenging days,
days when there's so many different things going on,
days just like our own,
but with this wonderful promise
in the midst of it.
Never will I leave you.
Never will I forsake you.
And many a Christian
has testified to this.
I'm sure many a Christian here
can testify to these words.
The Lord is my helper.
The fact that he will never leave us
or forsake us.
Some have testified to this
in spectacular ways.
I'll give you one example.
A missionary, John Payton.
He went to the New Hebrides
in the Pacific Islands.
Small cluster of islands together there.
And he went to one of these islands
to minister among the tribes there.
And they were fearful
of these people coming
and especially coming
with the word of God.
There were people who went,
the missionaries who went,
were often attacked.
Some were many were killed
for coming with their faith.
John Payton,
he went and was faithful to God,
but he had his own challenges.
And there was this one night
when he with his wife
were staying
in the mission headquarters.
They were staying there,
just the two of them there this night.
But outside,
they saw that the local tribes
had surrounded the place
that they were staying.
And they were just waiting
for them to attack.
And they were fearful.
John Payton and his wife
were terrified.
And for that night,
they were praying during the night
for the Lord to protect them
and the Lord to keep them.
When daylight came,
they were astonished
to see the tribe leave
without attacking them.
And they were just amazed.
They thanked God
for his protection
during that night.
And they carried on their ministry.
And little by little,
the Spirit of God
worked in that place.
And people started
to come to faith.
And a year later,
the chief of the tribe
was converted.
He became a Christian.
And John Payton
spoke to him
about his faith.
And then he asked him
about this night
when they had surrounded
his home,
when himself
and his wife were there.
And he asked,
how come you didn't attack?
Well, the chief
seemed astonished.
And he said,
well, who were all those men
who were there with you?
And John Payton said,
what?
Men?
There was nobody there
that night
but myself and my wife.
And the chief said,
well, there were hundreds of men
standing round your home
protecting you
with swords
and bright shining clothes.
And then John Payton
well knew
that is how the Lord
had answered his prayer
for protection
in a spectacular
and amazing way.
And we say to ourselves,
well, that's well
and good for him
but that's not the kind
of things that I see
in my life.
But that's not the norm.
But it doesn't mean
that God is not with us.
It doesn't mean
that God has left us.
He is with us.
And there are many
ordinary ways
in which God reminds us
too that he is with us.
A word and season
from his Bible,
from his word himself.
A friend who gives us comfort.
An unexpected provision.
There are so many ways
that he reminds us
that he is near.
And why is that?
Because he has promised,
never will I leave you,
never will I forsake you.
Whether it's the ordinary
or the spectacular,
it doesn't matter.
It is God's promise
to his people.
And we see a little
of this promise
as we look at verse 5 here.
what it does
for the people then
and what it does
for ourselves today.
It gives them
a renewed focus.
It gives them
a renewed confidence
and encouragement
in their experience.
So that in the midst
of their people
being put into prison,
persecution,
their property
being taken from them,
all of these things,
they still have
this confidence.
the Lord is my helper.
The Lord is my helper
because that is
what he has promised.
And when you look
at this promise
and how it comes up
in the Old Testament
and right through
into the New Testament,
into our own present day,
it continually reminds us
that God has made
this promise
and has kept
this promise
through time.
It is God himself
who has given it.
It is not just
a promise
from man,
but for he
has said,
the Lord has said,
I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
God doesn't
break his promises.
He keeps
every one of them.
And behind this
is his covenant promise.
That is what is
behind these words,
I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
It's equivalent
to the promise
God made
in his covenant
in the Old Testament.
I will be your God
and you will be
my people.
Where he will
keep us secure.
But it means
trusting in him.
It means going on
with him.
Because the Bible
also reminds us
of the opposite
of this.
And that is
almost the abandonment
of God.
When God,
we turn our back
on God
and God
leaves us
to our own
devices.
You see it again
throughout Scripture.
You see it
in the Old Testament
in Deuteronomy.
Again,
there's a warning
in chapter 31
verse 16.
God says,
they will forsake me
and break the covenant
I made with them.
On that day
I will become angry
with them
and forsake them.
I will hide my face
from them
and they will be destroyed.
Many disasters
and difficulties
will come upon them.
And on that day
they will ask,
have not these disasters
come upon us
because our God
is not with us?
They recognize
in the midst
of disobedience
our God
is not
with us.
And the same
would be true
in Isaiah's day
as the people
turned their back
on God.
But God
is calling them
to seek him,
to come back
to him.
The same is true
here in the days
of the Hebrews
as they may be tempted
to turn their back
on God
that they would
fail to see God
with them.
The same is true
in the book of Romans
as God says,
well,
if that's what you want
I'll leave you
to your own devices.
It brings disaster
upon us.
But the greatest
disaster of all
is that we would be
consumed
by this God
for turning
our back
on him.
And that is a warning
that the book
of Hebrews
gives again
and again
as well.
But the writer
to the Hebrews
keeps saying,
but you have
a kingdom.
But you have
a God.
You have one
whose kingdom
cannot be shaken.
You have one
whose kingdom
is secure.
You have one
who has
made this promise
to you.
I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
And this means
that we can have
confidence
to say
the Lord
is my helper.
We can be abandoned
by others
around us.
We can be left
helpless
in so many ways.
But God
will not leave us.
there was a
story from the
Second World War
of six pilots
who had left
an aircraft carrier
in an afternoon
to go on a mission.
They were in
the waters
where there were
many submarines
and they had been
tasked to go
and fly around
and see if they
could spot
submarines.
And they had.
They had spotted
a number
of submarines.
And as they were
returning to come
back to the aircraft
carrier,
it was getting
dark.
And as they were
trying to find
the aircraft carrier
where they thought
it must be,
they started
radioing and
asking for a light
so they could land.
But they were
told that the
captain had
said that the
ship was to be
in blackout.
Because of the
number of
submarines in the
area,
they were afraid
to put on any
light because
the submarine
would spot them.
And again and
again they kept
radioing and saying
just give us a
light to land,
give us something
that we might
see where to
land.
And they had to
keep saying we
can't.
And eventually the
radio operator was
so broken hearted
by what he was
saying that he
switched off the
radio so that he
wouldn't hear the
pleading for a
light anymore.
And they all had
to ditch their
planes in the
ocean.
A sense of
abandonment from
their own people
that they couldn't
help in the midst
of the fear of
enemy submarines
around them.
They were
abandoned,
they were
helpless.
Well there was a
greater abandonment
than that.
And that's when we
look to the
cross.
When we think of
what Christ has
done for us,
the one who
later on in this
chapter has
described as
going outside
the camp
of giving
his blood.
That as we
look to the
cross we see
the greatest
sacrifice of
all.
The place
where there was
darkness,
where there was
abandonment,
where Jesus
cried those
awful words,
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
Why have you
left me?
Well why?
Well the cross
was the place
of God's
fulfilling every
promise in
Christ.
That he had
to suffer.
That he had
to suffer as it
says outside
the camp.
That he had
to give that
sacrifice
that we
might live.
That we
might have
light.
That we
might have
hope to
walk in
his ways.
If you
feel
abandoned,
if you feel
at times you're
just groping in
the darkness,
think of
the cross
where Christ
died for
our sins.
Where darkness
overcame for
a time
that remember
the resurrection.
That glorious
day that he
has risen.
That he is
with us.
Never will
I leave you.
Never will
I forsake
you.
And that's
what we see
being hammered
home for us
here.
He has
suffered for
us outside
the camp
so we
might have
life through
him.
The Lord
is my
helper.
Can we
say that
tonight?
Well this
does call
for a
response.
The promise
is there
for us.
I will
never leave
you.
I will
never forsake
you.
But as
with all
of God's
promises,
it calls
for us
to respond.
And what
was the
response
that the
writer to
the Hebrews
was looking
for here?
Well if you
look at
verse 6
it says,
so we
can
confidently
say,
we can
say with
confidence,
the Lord
is my
helper.
I will
not fear
what can
man do
for me.
The call
of this
promise
is for us
as a
people
to have
confidence.
And as
you go
through
the book
of Hebrews
you see
it calls
people to
have
this
confidence.
This
confidence
to persevere,
this confidence
to worship,
to trust
God
no matter
what.
And just
when you
see the
word
confidence
in Hebrews
it gives
us confidence
in many
different ways.
Hebrews 3
verse 6
gives us
confidence
in his
hope.
It says,
we are
his house,
his people,
if indeed
we hold
fast our
confidence
and our
boasting
and our
hope.
The hope
that there
is in
Christ,
the confidence
that brings.
There is
confidence
to persevere.
Again in
Hebrews
chapter 3
verse 14,
for we have
come to
share in
Christ,
if indeed
we hold
our
original
confidence
firm
to the
end.
The
confidence
to persevere.
In
chapter 4
verse 16
it gives
us confidence
despite
our sin
where it
says,
let us
then with
confidence
draw near
to the
throne of
grace
that we
may receive
mercy
and find
grace to
help in
time of
need.
The
Lord
is with
us.
In
chapter 10
verse 19
we have
confidence
in his
finished
work.
Therefore
brothers,
since we
have
confidence
to enter
the holy
places
by the
blood
of
Jesus.
Again
it's
this
confidence.
It's
not in
ourselves.
It's
in the
blood
of
Christ.
And
this
confidence
is
despite
opposition.
in
Hebrews
10
verse
35
we've
seen
the
kind
of
opposition
that
they
face.
But
it
says
therefore
do
not
throw
away
your
confidence
which
has
a
great
reward.
So
the
word
confidence
keeps
coming up
as you're
going
through
Hebrews.
But
the
foundation
of it
is
all
at
this
last
point
in
chapter
13.
It's
the
last
quotation
from
the
Old
Testament.
I
will
never
leave
you
nor
forsake
you.
So
we
can
confidently
say
the
Lord
is
my
helper.
I
will
not
fear.
What
can
man
do
to
me?
Do
you
have
that
confidence
tonight?
To
confidently
say
the
Lord
is
my
helper.
It's
the
confidence
that
comes
from
seeking
the
Lord
while
he
may
be
found
and
calling
upon
him
while
he
is
near.
In
knowing
the
pardon,
in
knowing
the
forgiveness
of
sin,
in
knowing
the
faith
that
gives
to
us,
that
is
where
that
confidence
comes.
And
it's
a
confidence
in
which
we
go
on.
The
Lord
doesn't
leave
us.
He
gives
us
the
promise
that
he
is
with
us
constantly.
Never
will
I
leave
you.
Never
will
I
forsake
you.
There
is
no
time
and
no
place
where
God
abandons
his
people.
Through
life,
through
death,
to
eternity,
he
is
with
us.
We
can
have
confidence
in
that
because
it's
not
of
ourselves.
it's
of
him.
It's
faith
in
Christ
as
our
Lord,
as
our
King,
that
we
can
stand
on
his
promises
and
know
his
presence
always
with
us
because
he
will
never
leave
us
or
forsake
us.
So
let
us
confidently
say
the
Lord
is
my
helper.
Let
us
pray.
Our
Father
in
heaven,
may
we
know
the
blessing
of
your
word
to
us
this
night.
May
we
know
the
confidence
it
brings
to
us
that
we
are
not
abandoned,
that
we
are
not
alone,
that
you
have
said
that
you
will
never
leave
us
or
forsake
us
and
help
us
to
have
the
confidence
to
say
the
Lord
is
my
helper,
that
we
would
know
that
on a
daily
basis,
that
we
would
know
the
assurance
and
the
comfort
and
the
grace
that
gives
to
us,
a
grace
that
is
always
sufficient
for
our
every
need.
So
hear
our
prayers
Lord
and
continue
with
us.
That's
all we
ask.
We
ask
in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
We're
going to
conclude
by singing
in Psalm
71
in the
Scottish
Psalter
verse
16
to
verse
18.
The
tune is
Weatherby,
Psalm 71,
page 311
of the
psalm
books.
And again,
these verses
remind us
of God's
wonderful
presence
with us
and the
confidence
that that
gives.
I will
constantly
go on
in strength
of God
the Lord
and thine
own righteousness
even thine
alone I
will record.
Verse
18.
And now
Lord
leave me
not when
I,
old
and
gray
headed
grow
till
to this
age
thy
strength
and
power
to all
to come
I
show.
We'll
sing these
three stanzas
to God's
praise.
Amen.
And I
will
constantly
go on
in strength
of God
the Lord
and thine
own righteousness
even thine
how old
I will
record.
What if
love
teaching
me?
Have
a
love
to
who
asked
me
what
a
love
The Lord has gone, and I'll mourn thee, may not when I hold and grant it through,
till to this age thy strength and power do all to come my show.
After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my left. We'll just close with a benediction.
Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore. Amen.
Amen.