WEBVTT

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 Thank you very much for your welcome and prayers. Let me bring the greetings of Grace Church Montrose.

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 We are a free church of Scotland congregation up on the east coast.

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 If you don't know Scotland at all, there's Aberdeen, which is way north, and we're just a little bit south of them, a nice little seacoast town.

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 We actually haven't come from Montrose today, we've actually come from Ireland.

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 My accent might deceive you, but I am a very proud Irishman, and I'm very sad not to be there right now, but glad to be with you all.

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 So please keep open that passage you've got in front of you. We're looking at Psalm 113 today.

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 And this is where we begin. Let me tell you about, there was this photo, it was about 11 years ago, July 2013.

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 It kind of went a little bit viral. It was this picture of the Queen.

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 The Queen was visiting Kendal, this town in the Lake District in England.

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 As she was visiting the town, she was walking along the line where she encountered a Fijian soldier.

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 You see, she was walking along the line of the 1st Battalion of the Lancaster Regiment,

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 and they were all standing at attention before her, except for one, which was this Fijian soldier.

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 Because you see, where they were all stood straight, what he had done is he had sat down before her,

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 closed his eyes, bowed his head, and started clapping.

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 You see, for him, for Fijians in their culture, that's the way that you honour someone who is an authority,

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 someone who is above you, is to get down, bow your head, and clap them.

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 As you look over the broad scope of the Bible, the language, the pictures, the imagery of worship,

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 is always of bowing down.

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 It is of laying yourself prostrate before God.

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 Because in that way, we say, he is worthy.

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 Because he is supreme.

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 Because he is sovereign.

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 Because he is Lord.

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 This is the way that worshippers acknowledge the supremacy and the majesty of God.

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 But I want you just to return with me back to Kendall, July 2013.

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 And instead of imagining that Fijian soldier in front of the Queen,

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 I want you for a moment to imagine that you are that Fijian soldier.

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 And you've got down, you've sat down, crossed your legs,

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 bowed your head, closed your eyes, you're clapping.

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 And then I want you to imagine that after you've done that, you lift up your head.

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 And I want you to imagine that as you open up your eyes,

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 you see the Queen has got down on her, sat down in front of you,

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 and is looking right into your eyes.

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 That brings us right into the dynamic of this psalm that we've got here.

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 But more than that, that brings us right into the dynamic of the gospel itself.

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 The good news about Jesus.

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 Because what we encounter in this psalm,

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 the God that we worship,

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 as we take these words as our own,

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 the God that we meet in Jesus Christ,

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 that is the picture.

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 You see, here's the big thing that we're going to see today.

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 As we work our way through this psalm,

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 is that the Lord lowers himself.

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 The Holy One humbles himself.

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 The sovereign stoops down.

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 The transcendent condescends to us.

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 The God who gives himself,

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 we are going to meet the God who gives himself

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 in self-sacrificial love to us.

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 And through the psalm, as we work our way through this,

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 we are not just going to see how we worship God,

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 but primarily,

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 what we're going to see today

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 is the God who meets us

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 when we come to worship him in spirit and in truth.

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 As was mentioned,

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 this is the beginning of a little series

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 working through a section of psalms.

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 The psalms is a book in the Old Testament of the Bible.

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 This is the prayers, the songbook of the people of God.

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 And this little selection here,

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 Psalms 113 to 118,

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 they're known as the Egyptian Hallel Psalms.

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 Hallel is just the old word,

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 the Hebrew word for praise.

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 So you've ever heard anyone saying,

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 hallelujah, just what we have sang before.

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 That means praise the Lord.

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 And these are known as the Egyptian Hallel Psalms

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 because these are the songs that the people of God,

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 Israel would sing

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 when they gathered for this festival

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 that was known as the Passover.

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 The Passover is when the people gathered once a year

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 to remember this, the events,

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 the defining event for the people of Israel

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 when God liberated his people

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 from backbreaking, hope-sapping slavery in Egypt

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 and brought them out of that to be his very own people.

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 If you're ever reading through the Gospel of Matthew,

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 the Gospel of Luke, the accounts of Jesus' life,

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 there might be a little line that you just zoom by

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 but maybe not pay too much attention to,

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 but it's when they're gathering together

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 for the Passover meal,

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 the night before Jesus' death.

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 And it says this,

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 that they sang a hymn together.

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 And in all likelihood,

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 it was these songs,

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 Psalms 113 to 118.

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 You see, what they would do is they'd sing

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 Psalm 113 and 114 just before

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 they had the Passover meal.

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 And after the Passover meal,

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 they'd then sing 115 to 118.

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 Now, I know the series here is called

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 From the Lips of Jesus

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 because this is a reminder to us

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 as we work our way through these Psalms

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 over the next few weeks,

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 as you gather here Sunday by Sunday,

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 hear these Psalms preached.

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 One of the important things for us to remember

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 is this,

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 was Jesus singing these Psalms?

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 And in all likelihood,

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 these were the Psalms that Jesus himself sung

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 the night before he knew

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 he was going to the cross to die.

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 When we worked through these Psalms ourselves

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 up in Grace Church Montrose,

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 I called these the King's Last Hallelujah.

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 I like a little bit of a word play

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 because you see,

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 the night before his death,

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 Jesus didn't have a last hurrah,

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 but he led his people

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 to praise the Lord.

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 And that's what we're going to do

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 is we work our way through this,

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 hear this,

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 and we will all take these words as our own

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 and sing them to the praise of God.

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 I've got two points for us today,

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 so if you're note takers,

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 two nice and simple points.

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 And the first one is this,

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 praise our God.

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 Praise our God.

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 So here's a helpful tool for us

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 as we,

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 in our Bible reading kit,

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 it might seem obvious,

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 but sometimes I've learned

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 saying the obvious is really helpful to do.

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 If you see a word repeated

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 over and over and over again,

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 then maybe we should pay attention to it.

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 If we see a word repeated,

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 we can be confident that it's important.

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 You might think of it in these words.

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 If I'm sat at home on the couch

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 watching Ireland beat South Africa in the rugby

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 and I hear,

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 Kieran,

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 Kieran,

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 Kieran,

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 Kieran,

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 I know something is important,

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 it's happening.

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 You see,

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 I'm being summoned.

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 And here,

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 we are being summoned to praise God.

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 Look at these first couple of verses.

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 Praise the Lord.

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 Praise the Lord.

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 Praise the name of the Lord.

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 Let the name of the Lord be praised.

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 The name of the Lord is to be praised.

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 Five different times we see that here.

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 We are being summoned to praise here.

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 But maybe we might just pause and ask a question.

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 So we're being called to praise the Lord.

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 But this might be a question that you've been asked before.

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 Maybe it's a question you've wanted to ask,

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 but you never wanted to say it loud

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 because it doesn't sound like a Christian thing to do.

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 But does God need to be praised?

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 We're told that we need to praise God,

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 but does God himself need to be praised?

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 How would you answer that question if someone asked you?

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 What would you say to them?

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 Well,

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 here's my answer.

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 Well,

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 no.

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 Of course,

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 he doesn't need to be praised.

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 God is the one who is perfectly and eternally happy.

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 He is the one who is in perfect and in eternal harmony.

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 Father,

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 Son,

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 and Holy Spirit joined together in beautiful and perfect love.

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 No,

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 he doesn't need our praise,

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 but he deserves it.

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 He deserves our praise.

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 For what and who he is,

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 for what he is doing for us,

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 what he has done for us,

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 and what he will do for us.

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 But I think we could also take this in a slightly different direction.

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 God doesn't need our praise,

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 but we do need to give it.

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 You see,

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 we are worshipping creatures.

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 We always want to give ourselves,

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 devote ourselves to something.

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 As Augustine,

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 that great doctor of the soul,

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 some of you might have heard this before,

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 as he said,

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 our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.

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 You see,

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 there's a trajectory of the heart,

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 a compulsion to worship something,

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 to adore it,

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 to give ourselves over to it,

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 to sacrifice ourselves to something.

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 And only God,

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 only God,

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 the true God,

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 the living God,

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 Father,

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 Son,

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 and Holy Spirit,

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 only he,

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 the one who has called us,

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 cleansed us,

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 and claimed us as his very own.

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 Only he can satisfy our hearts.

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 But I want us just to focus on verses two to three for a moment.

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 Do you notice there's kind of like a little bit of a sandwich here.

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 Let the name of the Lord be praised,

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 beginning of verse two,

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 and then the end of verse three,

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 the name of the Lord is to be praised.

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 See that there?

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 Praise,

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 name of the Lord,

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 name of the Lord praised.

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 This is kind of a feature of the Psalms.

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 It's a feature of kind of Hebrew poetry,

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 where they sandwich things,

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 and they want you to focus in on what's going on here in the middle.

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 And have a look at what the saying here in the middle tells us a bit about the nature of our praise of this God.

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 We are to praise him both now and forevermore,

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 from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

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 Both now and forevermore,

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 we worship an eternal God,

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 no beginning,

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 no end,

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 and our worship is to match that as best as we can.

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 But it's not just about time,

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 but it's also about geography.

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 You see that there,

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 from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

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 You'll all know the saying,

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 won't you?

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 The sun never sets on the British Empire.

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 But one day,

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 it will.

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 One day,

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 the British Empire will fade.

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 The sun will set on us.

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 But God doesn't just dwell over Britain.

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 God doesn't just dwell over Israel.

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 God sits enthroned over his eternal kingdom,

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 over everything.

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 And when we are called to praise him,

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 from the setting of the sun to its dawning and all the way around,

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 we join in with the praise of creation,

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 as the way the world was meant to be.

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 But what are we praising?

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 Does this look strange to you?

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 It says we're to praise the name of the Lord.

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 It doesn't say that we praise the Lord,

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 but we praise the name of the Lord.

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 You might have seen my little man running around here.

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 He was born last year,

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 and when we were thinking about naming him,

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 we finally came to,

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 we called him Ruan Fraser Padder Kelleher.

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 So Fraser Padder,

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 they're his middle names,

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 and they come from our family,

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 different people within our family,

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 Fraser and Padder.

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 Padder is just Irish for Peter.

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 But there was no real inherent meaning to those names that we chose them for.

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 We tend to impose meanings on names,

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 don't we?

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 So when my wife,

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 Sarah,

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 she suggested,

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 the name Oliver for a boy.

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 I say,

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 no way.

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 I knew an Oliver when I was seven years old,

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 and I'm not calling any child of mine that.

00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:47.820
 Apologies for any Olivers who are in here,

00:14:47.920 --> 00:14:48.720
 who are watching online.

00:14:52.140 --> 00:14:53.160
 But back here,

00:14:53.300 --> 00:14:55.600
 names functioned differently.

00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:00.160
 They told us about the character of an individual,

00:15:01.060 --> 00:15:04.280
 or the purposes of a person.

00:15:04.700 --> 00:15:07.120
 So Peter meant rock,

00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:10.020
 that it was on the profession of Peter,

00:15:10.020 --> 00:15:13.780
 that Jesus would build his church.

00:15:14.780 --> 00:15:16.660
 And the name of the Lord here,

00:15:17.280 --> 00:15:18.440
 you can see it there,

00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:19.720
 in all capitals,

00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:22.500
 is Yahweh.

00:15:22.500 --> 00:15:24.899
 Yahweh,

00:15:24.899 --> 00:15:24.940
 Yahweh,

00:15:24.940 --> 00:15:26.039
 in Hebrew,

00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:27.100
 means,

00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:28.320
 I am that I am.

00:15:28.620 --> 00:15:29.799
 I was that I was.

00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:31.759
 I will be what I will be.

00:15:33.100 --> 00:15:34.919
 It means two things,

00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:35.899
 chiefly.

00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:37.059
 First,

00:15:38.059 --> 00:15:39.879
 that God is self-existent.

00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:40.879
 God is self-existent.

00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:41.879
 God is self-existent.

00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:42.879
 God is self-existent.

00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:43.279
 God is self-existent.

00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:44.000
 My life,

00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:44.980
 your life,

00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:46.519
 all our lives,

00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:50.240
 are dependent on something that is external to us.

00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:52.779
 The oxygen that we breathe,

00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:55.159
 the food that we'll eat after the service today,

00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:56.439
 the water that we drink.

00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:58.139
 But God himself

00:15:58.139 --> 00:16:01.919
 depends on him and him alone.

00:16:02.740 --> 00:16:02.959
 You see,

00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:04.319
 when God first reveals his name,

00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:05.860
 there's a story in the book of Exodus,

00:16:06.079 --> 00:16:08.399
 where Moses encounters a flaming bush.

00:16:08.860 --> 00:16:10.759
 And that flaming bush is a picture of this,

00:16:10.819 --> 00:16:11.519
 because you see,

00:16:12.419 --> 00:16:13.559
 the bush was a flame,

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:14.659
 but nothing was burning.

00:16:15.899 --> 00:16:17.299
 For a fire to keep going,

00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.679
 it must consume up something for energy,

00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:21.000
 but it wasn't consuming anything,

00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:22.679
 because it was a picture

00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.179
 of the self-existent God.

00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:26.419
 I am who I am.

00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:28.039
 Because you see,

00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.740
 not only is God self-existent,

00:16:29.819 --> 00:16:31.000
 but he is unchanging.

00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:32.159
 Unchanging.

00:16:33.319 --> 00:16:34.439
 Who he was then,

00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:35.240
 he is now.

00:16:35.620 --> 00:16:36.759
 Who he will be in the future,

00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.500
 he is now.

00:16:38.179 --> 00:16:39.939
 Who he was before the world began,

00:16:40.099 --> 00:16:40.639
 he is now.

00:16:40.719 --> 00:16:42.519
 Who he will be when the world ends

00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:43.579
 and we are with him in glory,

00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:45.559
 that is who he is right now.

00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:48.459
 And there are two chief things in particular.

00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:51.399
 He is unchanging in his character

00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:55.879
 and in his promises to us.

00:16:57.659 --> 00:16:59.059
 And what we are doing here

00:16:59.059 --> 00:16:59.919
 when we are saying,

00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:02.759
 praise the name of the Lord,

00:17:02.939 --> 00:17:04.279
 praise the Lord,

00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:07.139
 we are inviting one another

00:17:07.139 --> 00:17:09.460
 to do this.

00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:12.500
 And when you look throughout scripture,

00:17:12.659 --> 00:17:15.460
 there's three principal directions

00:17:15.460 --> 00:17:16.460
 that we sing.

00:17:17.460 --> 00:17:19.319
 We sing directly to God.

00:17:20.619 --> 00:17:21.299
 We say,

00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:22.399
 you are worthy,

00:17:22.659 --> 00:17:23.399
 you are good.

00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:29.140
 But we can also sing to ourselves.

00:17:30.420 --> 00:17:31.519
 Bless the Lord,

00:17:31.660 --> 00:17:32.900
 oh my soul.

00:17:35.300 --> 00:17:36.519
 So we sing upwards,

00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:37.140
 inwards,

00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:38.340
 but we can also sing

00:17:38.340 --> 00:17:40.400
 outwards as well.

00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:43.540
 Before we were in Montrose

00:17:43.540 --> 00:17:44.920
 and before that,

00:17:45.060 --> 00:17:46.400
 before we were in Brossy Ferry

00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:47.220
 and before that,

00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:48.660
 we were in St. Andrews.

00:17:48.660 --> 00:17:50.120
 You know,

00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:51.360
 St. Andrews is known as

00:17:51.360 --> 00:17:52.960
 England's most northerly town

00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:54.580
 and it's also known

00:17:54.580 --> 00:17:56.560
 as the 51st state of America.

00:17:56.980 --> 00:17:58.740
 There's a lot of Americans there

00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:00.180
 and there was a lot of Americans

00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:00.759
 in our church.

00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:02.080
 One was a good friend of mine.

00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:04.140
 And seeing the way

00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:05.279
 that scripture spoke about

00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:06.400
 how we sing

00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:08.080
 out towards one another,

00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:10.259
 so persuaded by that,

00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:11.320
 what he would do then

00:18:11.320 --> 00:18:12.140
 during church

00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:13.720
 is when there were songs

00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:14.840
 about singing to one another,

00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:16.380
 he would look around

00:18:16.380 --> 00:18:17.080
 and other people.

00:18:17.780 --> 00:18:19.660
 He would flash his pearly whites

00:18:19.660 --> 00:18:21.480
 and try to encourage one another.

00:18:21.620 --> 00:18:22.260
 Now all the Brits,

00:18:22.340 --> 00:18:23.000
 as you can imagine,

00:18:23.260 --> 00:18:23.960
 put up their blinkers

00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:24.180
 and said,

00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:24.960
 please don't look at me.

00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:25.880
 This is really uncomfortable.

00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:28.900
 But what we are doing

00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:30.480
 when we take these words

00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:31.100
 as our own,

00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:32.760
 as we sing them

00:18:32.760 --> 00:18:33.420
 and we will sing

00:18:33.420 --> 00:18:34.220
 these words afterwards,

00:18:34.600 --> 00:18:36.220
 we are encouraging one another.

00:18:36.540 --> 00:18:38.620
 Praise the name of the Lord

00:18:38.620 --> 00:18:39.860
 because he is worthy

00:18:39.860 --> 00:18:41.740
 to be praised.

00:18:43.120 --> 00:18:44.200
 And what are we singing

00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:45.260
 when we sing this psalm?

00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:45.680
 And this is where

00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:46.559
 we're going to move into

00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:47.319
 and this is the meat

00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:48.579
 of this psalm.

00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.379
 We are calling on one another

00:18:52.379 --> 00:18:53.420
 to come and see

00:18:53.420 --> 00:18:55.480
 the incomparable gods,

00:18:56.359 --> 00:18:58.039
 the peerless one.

00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:01.240
 Because if our first point

00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:01.619
 is this,

00:19:01.740 --> 00:19:02.519
 praise our God,

00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:03.920
 our second point is this,

00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:06.279
 for who is like

00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:07.700
 the Lord our God?

00:19:07.819 --> 00:19:09.599
 For who is like

00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:10.259
 the Lord our God?

00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:11.240
 And so for our note takers

00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:11.720
 this morning

00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:12.240
 and even those

00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:13.039
 who aren't taking notes,

00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:14.359
 this is it.

00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:15.139
 This is what I want you

00:19:15.139 --> 00:19:16.099
 to take away from

00:19:16.099 --> 00:19:17.699
 today's sermon.

00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:19.479
 This is what I want.

00:19:19.539 --> 00:19:20.939
 If you only remember this,

00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:21.939
 this is brilliant.

00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:25.059
 God is both high

00:19:25.059 --> 00:19:27.139
 and humble.

00:19:29.539 --> 00:19:32.139
 He is both lifted up

00:19:32.139 --> 00:19:33.679
 and lowly.

00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:36.419
 High and humble,

00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:38.339
 lifted up and lowly.

00:19:38.339 --> 00:19:40.220
 This is the God

00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:41.539
 that we meet

00:19:41.539 --> 00:19:43.519
 when we worship him

00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:44.740
 through Jesus Christ.

00:19:45.899 --> 00:19:46.819
 We know this,

00:19:46.879 --> 00:19:49.019
 that God is most holy.

00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:52.019
 He is most just.

00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:54.500
 He is most wise.

00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:57.399
 But the particular focus

00:19:57.399 --> 00:19:58.199
 in this psalm,

00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:00.220
 as we call on one another

00:20:00.220 --> 00:20:01.319
 to praise the Lord,

00:20:01.439 --> 00:20:02.759
 we are saying to one another,

00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:06.200
 see his sovereignty,

00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.339
 see his majesty,

00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:15.019
 behold his power

00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:16.960
 and his authority.

00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:18.299
 Have a look at me

00:20:18.299 --> 00:20:19.420
 in verses four to five.

00:20:19.879 --> 00:20:21.059
 The Lord is exalted

00:20:21.059 --> 00:20:22.579
 over all the nations,

00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:24.420
 his glory above the heavens.

00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:26.740
 Who is like the Lord our God?

00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:27.799
 The one who sits

00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:28.799
 and thrones on high,

00:20:29.220 --> 00:20:30.019
 who stoops down

00:20:30.019 --> 00:20:31.680
 to look on the heavens

00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:33.400
 and the earth.

00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:35.519
 God is supreme

00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:36.599
 and transcendent.

00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:37.099
 He is the one

00:20:37.099 --> 00:20:38.039
 who looks down

00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:39.440
 from the heights.

00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:40.980
 And this isn't

00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:43.299
 a geographical descriptor here.

00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:44.839
 So it's not that

00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:46.160
 he's going to pass the moon

00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:47.359
 or he's beyond

00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:48.299
 the Milky Way.

00:20:49.299 --> 00:20:50.359
 This here refers

00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:52.339
 to his dominion,

00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:54.819
 his rule.

00:20:56.099 --> 00:20:56.440
 You see,

00:20:56.539 --> 00:20:58.019
 he is enthroned

00:20:58.019 --> 00:20:58.579
 enthroned

00:20:58.579 --> 00:21:00.500
 as the reigning king

00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:02.819
 over all the cosmos,

00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:04.240
 over all the universe,

00:21:04.579 --> 00:21:05.480
 over all the earth,

00:21:05.879 --> 00:21:07.160
 over all our lives.

00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:10.740
 And actually,

00:21:10.819 --> 00:21:11.680
 it's important to remember

00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:12.960
 that this describes

00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:14.359
 Jesus.

00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:18.359
 Jesus as he was

00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:19.440
 before he came

00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:20.180
 to live on earth.

00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.440
 Jesus as he is

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:24.519
 as the resurrected king.

00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:27.240
 the one who is

00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:28.279
 in the form of God.

00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:29.960
 The one who has been

00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:30.879
 exalted above

00:21:30.879 --> 00:21:32.400
 every other name

00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.980
 in all of creation.

00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:36.579
 You see,

00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:37.720
 no politician,

00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:38.900
 no empire,

00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:40.460
 no multinational corporation,

00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:41.799
 no army,

00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:42.960
 nothing,

00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:43.960
 no one

00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:44.839
 compares

00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:46.960
 to the Lord

00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:47.579
 our God.

00:21:47.579 --> 00:21:51.240
 In some senses,

00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:52.000
 we might just think

00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:52.379
 to ourselves,

00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.839
 this is a rhetorical question.

00:21:53.980 --> 00:21:54.720
 There's no real answer

00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:55.220
 to this.

00:21:56.299 --> 00:21:57.759
 No one can compare

00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:58.980
 to him.

00:22:00.539 --> 00:22:00.899
 Sometimes,

00:22:01.179 --> 00:22:01.679
 after I've

00:22:01.679 --> 00:22:03.480
 watched highlights

00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:04.699
 of Ireland being amazing

00:22:04.699 --> 00:22:05.059
 at rugby,

00:22:05.199 --> 00:22:06.079
 this is the last comment

00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:06.720
 on that one today,

00:22:07.439 --> 00:22:09.879
 I look at the comment section

00:22:09.879 --> 00:22:11.679
 on different highlights,

00:22:12.699 --> 00:22:13.679
 whether that's

00:22:13.679 --> 00:22:14.679
 rugby,

00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:16.019
 American football,

00:22:16.019 --> 00:22:18.099
 another type of football,

00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:18.920
 whatever it is.

00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:20.019
 And you see,

00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:20.700
 one of the comments

00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:21.639
 that always strikes me

00:22:21.639 --> 00:22:22.539
 is you talk about this.

00:22:22.579 --> 00:22:23.240
 If a player has done

00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:23.700
 really well,

00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:24.279
 it says this.

00:22:25.859 --> 00:22:26.639
 He's gone into

00:22:26.639 --> 00:22:27.539
 God mode today.

00:22:28.420 --> 00:22:29.519
 And all I think

00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:29.940
 to myself

00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:30.500
 when I read that

00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:31.879
 is what a low,

00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:33.460
 impoverished,

00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:34.519
 diluted view

00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:35.299
 of God that is.

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:39.119
 You see,

00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:40.119
 God isn't just

00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:41.579
 an amplified version

00:22:41.579 --> 00:22:42.220
 of ourselves.

00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:45.480
 He's not Clark Kent

00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:46.400
 after taking off

00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:46.860
 the suits

00:22:46.860 --> 00:22:47.559
 and putting on

00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:48.099
 his cape.

00:22:50.380 --> 00:22:51.420
 God is above

00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:52.420
 and beyond

00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:53.599
 us.

00:22:58.180 --> 00:22:59.120
 But it's not just

00:22:59.120 --> 00:23:00.180
 the rhetorical question

00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:00.620
 here.

00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:01.660
 Actually,

00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:02.400
 it gives us

00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:03.299
 a slightly

00:23:03.299 --> 00:23:04.279
 surprising

00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:05.500
 answer.

00:23:05.640 --> 00:23:06.200
 Have a look with me

00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:07.079
 at verse 6.

00:23:08.059 --> 00:23:08.880
 So we'll go through

00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:09.640
 from verse 5.

00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:10.339
 Who is like

00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:11.180
 the Lord our God,

00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:12.319
 the one who sits

00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:13.400
 enthroned on high?

00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:14.160
 And then look at

00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:14.720
 verse 6.

00:23:15.280 --> 00:23:16.460
 Who stoops down

00:23:16.460 --> 00:23:17.019
 to look

00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:18.740
 on the heavens

00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:20.480
 and the earth.

00:23:22.340 --> 00:23:23.480
 That word there

00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:25.320
 for stoop down,

00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.540
 that literally means

00:23:26.540 --> 00:23:28.120
 to humble,

00:23:29.120 --> 00:23:30.320
 to lower,

00:23:31.380 --> 00:23:32.600
 to abase

00:23:32.600 --> 00:23:34.200
 yourself.

00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:37.000
 And what do we

00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:37.620
 see here?

00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:42.220
 God comes

00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:42.640
 down,

00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:44.480
 stoops down

00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:44.840
 low,

00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:46.180
 humbles

00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:46.680
 himself,

00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:47.539
 abases

00:23:47.539 --> 00:23:48.140
 himself.

00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:50.720
 He enters

00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:51.660
 into our mess

00:23:51.660 --> 00:23:53.840
 to look

00:23:53.840 --> 00:23:54.299
 at us,

00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:56.180
 look into

00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:56.700
 the eyes

00:23:56.700 --> 00:23:57.340
 of his people.

00:23:57.339 --> 00:24:01.619
 In verses

00:24:01.619 --> 00:24:02.899
 7 to 9

00:24:02.899 --> 00:24:03.819
 here,

00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:04.699
 the psalmist,

00:24:04.779 --> 00:24:05.139
 the person

00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:05.699
 who wrote

00:24:05.699 --> 00:24:06.379
 this psalm,

00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:08.279
 they evoke

00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:09.099
 stories

00:24:09.099 --> 00:24:10.220
 and examples

00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:11.459
 of God

00:24:11.459 --> 00:24:12.019
 entering

00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:12.559
 into

00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:13.720
 and serving

00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:15.659
 the lowly.

00:24:17.439 --> 00:24:18.079
 Like

00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:18.939
 Joseph,

00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:21.119
 taken from

00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:21.500
 a hole

00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.240
 in the ground,

00:24:23.699 --> 00:24:24.559
 taken from

00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:25.240
 slavery

00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:26.059
 and prison,

00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:28.460
 and seated

00:24:28.460 --> 00:24:28.940
 with the

00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:29.720
 princes of

00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:30.179
 Egypt.

00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:31.639
 Or

00:24:31.639 --> 00:24:32.500
 King David,

00:24:33.139 --> 00:24:33.899
 the forgotten

00:24:33.899 --> 00:24:34.879
 son who

00:24:34.879 --> 00:24:35.599
 was made

00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:36.319
 king

00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:39.000
 over Israel.

00:24:41.399 --> 00:24:41.720
 But

00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:42.259
 verse 7

00:24:42.259 --> 00:24:42.639
 here in

00:24:42.639 --> 00:24:43.099
 particular,

00:24:43.619 --> 00:24:44.220
 he raises

00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:44.759
 the poor

00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:45.139
 from the

00:24:45.139 --> 00:24:45.779
 dust and

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:46.440
 lifts the

00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:47.039
 needy

00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:48.359
 from the

00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:49.039
 ash heap.

00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:49.720
 And

00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:50.659
 this language

00:24:50.659 --> 00:24:51.079
 is actually

00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:52.279
 taken directly

00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:54.119
 from the

00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:54.700
 song of a

00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:55.220
 woman called

00:24:55.220 --> 00:24:55.539
 Hannah.

00:24:56.059 --> 00:24:56.619
 There's a book

00:24:56.619 --> 00:24:57.039
 in the Old

00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:57.659
 Testament called

00:24:57.659 --> 00:24:58.440
 One Samuel.

00:24:59.200 --> 00:24:59.839
 And it opens

00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:00.240
 up with the

00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:00.659
 story of

00:25:00.659 --> 00:25:01.000
 Hannah,

00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:01.639
 this lady

00:25:01.639 --> 00:25:03.879
 who had

00:25:03.879 --> 00:25:04.279
 fertility

00:25:04.279 --> 00:25:04.799
 issues.

00:25:04.899 --> 00:25:05.299
 She couldn't

00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:06.200
 bear children.

00:25:07.480 --> 00:25:07.839
 And she

00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:08.679
 was mocked.

00:25:09.399 --> 00:25:10.019
 And she

00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:10.879
 was slandered.

00:25:12.879 --> 00:25:13.599
 And God

00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:14.139
 in his grace

00:25:14.139 --> 00:25:14.740
 and kindness

00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:15.599
 gave her a

00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:16.000
 son whom

00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:16.480
 she named

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:16.940
 Samuel.

00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:17.480
 And this

00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:18.279
 is the song

00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:19.299
 that she

00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:19.819
 sang.

00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:21.200
 that God

00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:21.980
 raises the

00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:22.559
 poor from

00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:23.019
 the dust

00:25:23.019 --> 00:25:23.579
 and lifts

00:25:23.579 --> 00:25:24.299
 the needy

00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:24.839
 from the

00:25:24.839 --> 00:25:25.220
 ash heap.

00:25:25.299 --> 00:25:25.879
 He seats

00:25:25.879 --> 00:25:26.299
 them with

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:26.720
 princes,

00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:27.319
 with the

00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:28.720
 princes of

00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:29.319
 his people.

00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:33.279
 And what

00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:33.559
 I want to

00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:34.259
 say here,

00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:36.500
 as these

00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:37.139
 words are

00:25:37.139 --> 00:25:37.519
 put down

00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:37.819
 in the

00:25:37.819 --> 00:25:38.279
 psalm for

00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:38.579
 us to

00:25:38.579 --> 00:25:38.919
 sing,

00:25:40.399 --> 00:25:42.439
 these words

00:25:42.439 --> 00:25:42.859
 here,

00:25:43.539 --> 00:25:44.200
 verses 7

00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:44.819
 to 9,

00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:46.159
 these are

00:25:46.159 --> 00:25:46.879
 not promises

00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:47.340
 of what

00:25:47.340 --> 00:25:47.700
 God is

00:25:47.700 --> 00:25:48.020
 going to

00:25:48.020 --> 00:25:48.560
 do for

00:25:48.560 --> 00:25:48.960
 us.

00:25:52.080 --> 00:25:52.800
 But these

00:25:52.800 --> 00:25:53.840
 are pictures

00:25:53.840 --> 00:25:55.720
 of his

00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:57.360
 grace to

00:25:57.360 --> 00:25:57.980
 his people

00:25:57.980 --> 00:25:59.540
 and a

00:25:59.540 --> 00:26:00.220
 reminder

00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:02.180
 of the

00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:02.520
 way he

00:26:02.520 --> 00:26:03.160
 comes low

00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:03.660
 to meet

00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:04.180
 us in

00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:04.720
 our mess

00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:05.560
 when we

00:26:05.560 --> 00:26:06.120
 are face

00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:06.520
 down in

00:26:06.520 --> 00:26:06.900
 the mud.

00:26:10.940 --> 00:26:11.540
 So if

00:26:11.540 --> 00:26:11.760
 there are

00:26:11.760 --> 00:26:12.280
 people here

00:26:12.280 --> 00:26:13.000
 this morning,

00:26:14.340 --> 00:26:14.720
 we've got

00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:15.320
 family or

00:26:15.320 --> 00:26:15.880
 friends,

00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:17.460
 who might

00:26:17.460 --> 00:26:17.940
 be

00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:18.840
 struggling

00:26:18.840 --> 00:26:20.500
 with

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.060
 fertility.

00:26:23.580 --> 00:26:24.300
 Verse 9

00:26:24.300 --> 00:26:24.780
 doesn't say

00:26:24.780 --> 00:26:25.400
 to you that

00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:26.700
 God doesn't

00:26:26.700 --> 00:26:27.100
 love you

00:26:27.100 --> 00:26:27.600
 because of

00:26:27.600 --> 00:26:27.840
 that.

00:26:29.840 --> 00:26:30.440
 But it's

00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:30.940
 saying look

00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:31.320
 at the way

00:26:31.320 --> 00:26:31.740
 that he's

00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:32.620
 loved and

00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:33.240
 cared for

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:33.640
 people in

00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:34.120
 the past.

00:26:38.560 --> 00:26:39.280
 This is a

00:26:39.280 --> 00:26:40.140
 picture of

00:26:40.140 --> 00:26:41.200
 his grace

00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:42.440
 to his

00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:42.860
 people.

00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:46.020
 You see,

00:26:46.019 --> 00:26:46.579
 God has

00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:47.460
 acted in

00:26:47.460 --> 00:26:47.980
 history.

00:26:51.059 --> 00:26:51.579
 And

00:26:51.579 --> 00:26:52.279
 supremely,

00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:52.920
 we see

00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:54.720
 that in

00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:54.920
 the way

00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:55.160
 that he

00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:56.039
 acted through

00:26:56.039 --> 00:26:56.839
 his son,

00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:57.319
 Jesus.

00:26:59.859 --> 00:27:00.379
 You see,

00:27:00.460 --> 00:27:01.119
 so much of

00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:01.500
 religion,

00:27:01.639 --> 00:27:02.079
 isn't it,

00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:03.339
 is so

00:27:03.339 --> 00:27:03.900
 often we

00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:04.279
 think that

00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:04.660
 there's this

00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:05.440
 ladder that

00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:06.099
 we've got to

00:27:06.099 --> 00:27:07.079
 climb and

00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:08.220
 clamber our

00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:08.759
 way up.

00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:11.099
 and that

00:27:11.099 --> 00:27:11.539
 maybe,

00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:12.079
 just maybe,

00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:12.619
 we might

00:27:12.619 --> 00:27:13.000
 get to

00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:13.480
 the top

00:27:13.480 --> 00:27:15.259
 in time

00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:16.059
 and we

00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:16.720
 might just

00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:17.220
 meet God

00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:17.500
 at that

00:27:17.500 --> 00:27:17.900
 moment.

00:27:20.420 --> 00:27:21.039
 What an

00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:21.940
 amazing picture

00:27:21.940 --> 00:27:22.559
 we get in

00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:23.200
 this psalm

00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:25.559
 that says to

00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:25.960
 us that God

00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:26.680
 comes down to

00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:27.299
 meet us because

00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:27.960
 we just cannot

00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:28.559
 get up that

00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:29.079
 ladder.

00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:31.439
 we've tried

00:27:31.439 --> 00:27:31.839
 and we've

00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:32.339
 fallen and

00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:32.799
 we've slipped

00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:33.220
 down and

00:27:33.220 --> 00:27:33.500
 we just

00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:34.099
 cannot do

00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:34.319
 it.

00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:37.960
 And God

00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:38.759
 comes down to

00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:39.720
 meet us and

00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:40.819
 encounter us

00:27:40.819 --> 00:27:42.519
 in his grace.

00:27:42.519 --> 00:27:45.660
 But just have

00:27:45.660 --> 00:27:46.119
 a look at

00:27:46.119 --> 00:27:47.240
 the imagery

00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:47.539
 there.

00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:47.839
 It says

00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:48.200
 this,

00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:49.119
 he raises

00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:49.619
 the poor

00:27:49.619 --> 00:27:50.200
 from the

00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:51.720
 dust and

00:27:51.720 --> 00:27:52.319
 lifts the

00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:53.900
 needy from

00:27:53.900 --> 00:27:54.440
 the ash

00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:54.740
 heap.

00:27:54.879 --> 00:27:55.079
 Ash

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:55.440
 heap could

00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:55.980
 also be

00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:57.420
 the refuse.

00:27:58.200 --> 00:27:58.980
 Whatever it

00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:00.900
 exactly means,

00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:02.220
 you see,

00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:03.139
 both of

00:28:03.139 --> 00:28:03.759
 these are

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:05.099
 materials,

00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:05.720
 whatever they

00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:06.019
 are,

00:28:06.819 --> 00:28:07.259
 they get

00:28:07.259 --> 00:28:07.879
 thrown out.

00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:09.000
 They're

00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:09.220
 kind of

00:28:09.220 --> 00:28:09.639
 things that

00:28:09.639 --> 00:28:10.160
 get caught

00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:10.539
 up on the

00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:10.980
 bottom of

00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:11.359
 your foot

00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:11.599
 that you

00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:11.980
 try to

00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:12.500
 wipe off.

00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:13.519
 before you

00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:14.119
 go in and

00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:14.519
 stand on

00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:15.000
 the carpet.

00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:17.319
 Things that

00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:17.839
 get thrown

00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:18.160
 out,

00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:18.859
 forgotten

00:28:18.859 --> 00:28:19.279
 about.

00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:22.440
 And what

00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:22.819
 we're told

00:28:22.819 --> 00:28:26.500
 here is

00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:27.099
 that the

00:28:27.099 --> 00:28:27.660
 dust,

00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:29.319
 the ash

00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:29.539
 heap,

00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:29.960
 which is

00:28:29.960 --> 00:28:30.559
 fleeting,

00:28:30.879 --> 00:28:31.480
 unimportant,

00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.940
 that's where

00:28:32.940 --> 00:28:33.639
 God comes

00:28:33.639 --> 00:28:34.160
 down to

00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:34.700
 meet us.

00:28:36.819 --> 00:28:37.200
 Let me

00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:37.400
 tell you

00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:37.660
 about a

00:28:37.660 --> 00:28:38.139
 lady called

00:28:38.139 --> 00:28:38.779
 Josephine

00:28:38.779 --> 00:28:39.099
 Butler

00:28:39.099 --> 00:28:39.599
 quickly.

00:28:40.660 --> 00:28:41.019
 Josephine

00:28:41.019 --> 00:28:41.559
 Butler was

00:28:41.559 --> 00:28:42.799
 lived in

00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:42.940
 the

00:28:42.940 --> 00:28:43.559
 19th

00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:44.039
 century.

00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:45.859
 She was

00:28:45.859 --> 00:28:46.639
 born into

00:28:46.639 --> 00:28:47.440
 a well-to-do

00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:47.919
 family.

00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:48.839
 Her father

00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:49.240
 was a

00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:49.659
 cousin of

00:28:49.659 --> 00:28:49.980
 a prime

00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:50.259
 minister

00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:50.779
 during that

00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:51.179
 time.

00:28:53.179 --> 00:28:54.299
 She married

00:28:54.299 --> 00:28:55.240
 a Church

00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:55.759
 of England

00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:56.659
 vicar,

00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:58.039
 lived with

00:28:58.039 --> 00:28:58.500
 him in

00:28:58.500 --> 00:28:58.819
 Oxford,

00:28:59.019 --> 00:28:59.500
 then moved

00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:00.919
 to Cheltenham,

00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:01.419
 wasn't really

00:29:01.419 --> 00:29:01.980
 taking a step

00:29:01.980 --> 00:29:02.220
 down,

00:29:02.299 --> 00:29:02.500
 and then

00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:03.159
 finally he

00:29:03.159 --> 00:29:03.720
 got a job

00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:04.720
 in Liverpool.

00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:06.920
 Now,

00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:07.420
 no offence

00:29:07.420 --> 00:29:07.779
 to anyone

00:29:07.779 --> 00:29:08.059
 who's from

00:29:08.059 --> 00:29:08.319
 Liverpool,

00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:08.799
 but it

00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:09.120
 was a

00:29:09.120 --> 00:29:09.400
 major

00:29:09.400 --> 00:29:09.700
 step

00:29:09.700 --> 00:29:09.980
 down

00:29:09.980 --> 00:29:10.200
 from

00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:10.539
 both

00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:11.039
 Oxford

00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:12.059
 and

00:29:12.059 --> 00:29:12.500
 Cheltenham.

00:29:14.120 --> 00:29:14.720
 And when

00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:15.420
 she moved

00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:15.860
 there,

00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:17.339
 she went

00:29:17.339 --> 00:29:18.279
 to a

00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:18.839
 workhouse.

00:29:19.059 --> 00:29:19.180
 Now,

00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:19.400
 if you've

00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:19.779
 never heard

00:29:19.779 --> 00:29:20.120
 of what a

00:29:20.120 --> 00:29:20.559
 workhouse

00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:20.799
 is,

00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:21.339
 a workhouse

00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:21.680
 was the

00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:21.920
 kind of

00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:22.559
 place that

00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:23.460
 women who

00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:23.740
 couldn't

00:29:23.740 --> 00:29:24.220
 survive in

00:29:24.220 --> 00:29:24.640
 the streets

00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:25.000
 anymore,

00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:25.519
 that's where

00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:25.860
 they went

00:29:25.860 --> 00:29:26.059
 to.

00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:27.319
 This was

00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:27.860
 the last

00:29:27.860 --> 00:29:28.240
 chance

00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:28.759
 saloon.

00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:29.980
 They did

00:29:29.980 --> 00:29:31.660
 very basic,

00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:32.539
 hard,

00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:34.039
 manual labour.

00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:35.460
 The workhouse

00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:35.900
 she went to

00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:36.279
 was a place

00:29:36.279 --> 00:29:36.480
 that they

00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:37.120
 did oakum

00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:37.700
 picking.

00:29:38.120 --> 00:29:38.360
 You know,

00:29:38.420 --> 00:29:38.799
 the ropes

00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:39.039
 that they

00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:39.440
 throw into

00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:39.880
 the docks,

00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:40.279
 they pull

00:29:40.279 --> 00:29:40.700
 those out

00:29:40.700 --> 00:29:40.960
 and there

00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:41.759
 was little

00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:42.559
 tiny material

00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:42.900
 that they

00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:43.140
 would have

00:29:43.140 --> 00:29:43.480
 to take

00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:43.720
 out with

00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:44.099
 their hands.

00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:44.339
 It was

00:29:44.339 --> 00:29:44.960
 really hard

00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:45.259
 work.

00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:45.940
 And she

00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:46.440
 came and

00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:47.160
 sat down

00:29:47.160 --> 00:29:48.120
 with them

00:29:48.120 --> 00:29:48.420
 in their

00:29:48.420 --> 00:29:48.960
 circle while

00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:49.180
 they were

00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:49.599
 doing this

00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:49.980
 one day,

00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:50.319
 and they

00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:50.940
 laughed at

00:29:50.940 --> 00:29:51.160
 her,

00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:53.220
 dressed well

00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:54.380
 amongst the

00:29:54.380 --> 00:29:54.740
 women that

00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:55.099
 everyone else

00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:55.559
 had forgotten

00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:55.920
 about.

00:29:57.700 --> 00:29:58.240
 But she

00:29:58.240 --> 00:29:58.740
 kept coming

00:29:58.740 --> 00:29:59.140
 back,

00:29:59.980 --> 00:30:00.420
 and they

00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:00.640
 started

00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:01.160
 taking her

00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:01.640
 seriously.

00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:04.799
 Fast

00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:05.360
 forwarding,

00:30:05.539 --> 00:30:05.960
 she met

00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:06.620
 a young

00:30:06.620 --> 00:30:06.980
 woman in

00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:07.319
 that group

00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:07.839
 called Mary

00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:08.440
 Lomax who

00:30:08.440 --> 00:30:09.039
 just couldn't

00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:09.819
 cope anymore.

00:30:10.279 --> 00:30:10.819
 So she

00:30:10.819 --> 00:30:11.059
 and her

00:30:11.059 --> 00:30:11.819
 husband took

00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:12.400
 Mary into

00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:12.860
 their home.

00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.380
 They fed

00:30:15.380 --> 00:30:15.660
 her,

00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.099
 clothed

00:30:17.099 --> 00:30:17.319
 her,

00:30:18.620 --> 00:30:19.200
 and welcomed

00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:19.839
 her in.

00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:22.799
 One day,

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.000
 Josephine

00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:24.400
 Butler's

00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:25.319
 husband was

00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:26.299
 speaking to

00:30:26.299 --> 00:30:26.579
 her,

00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:28.220
 and Mary

00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:28.839
 Lomax said

00:30:28.839 --> 00:30:29.240
 this,

00:30:29.980 --> 00:30:30.900
 Sir,

00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:31.420
 you have

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:32.059
 brought me

00:30:32.059 --> 00:30:32.680
 into your

00:30:32.680 --> 00:30:33.339
 beautiful

00:30:33.339 --> 00:30:33.799
 home.

00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:35.480
 You have

00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:36.460
 treated me

00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:37.120
 as if I

00:30:37.120 --> 00:30:37.519
 was your

00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:38.519
 own daughter,

00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:40.380
 as if I

00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:40.779
 had never

00:30:40.779 --> 00:30:41.319
 done anything

00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:41.680
 wrong.

00:30:44.200 --> 00:30:44.900
 I have

00:30:44.900 --> 00:30:45.740
 seen Jesus

00:30:45.740 --> 00:30:46.299
 in you.

00:30:52.860 --> 00:30:53.779
 A dust in

00:30:53.779 --> 00:30:54.240
 scripture

00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:55.220
 means that

00:30:55.220 --> 00:30:55.559
 which is

00:30:55.559 --> 00:30:56.180
 fleeting and

00:30:56.180 --> 00:30:56.720
 unimportant.

00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:56.860
 death.

00:30:59.299 --> 00:30:59.980
 But it

00:30:59.980 --> 00:31:00.460
 also can

00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:00.720
 be a

00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:01.220
 picture of

00:31:01.220 --> 00:31:01.559
 death.

00:31:05.140 --> 00:31:05.680
 Remember

00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:05.940
 what we

00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:06.240
 said,

00:31:06.860 --> 00:31:07.160
 Jesus

00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:08.160
 sang this,

00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:09.839
 he prayed

00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:11.420
 this on

00:31:11.420 --> 00:31:11.759
 the night

00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:12.259
 before he

00:31:12.259 --> 00:31:12.799
 went to

00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:13.360
 the cross,

00:31:14.360 --> 00:31:15.519
 as he

00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:16.120
 confronted

00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:17.220
 his own

00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:17.819
 death.

00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:17.859
 death.

00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:26.279
 Jesus,

00:31:26.439 --> 00:31:27.179
 the Lord,

00:31:27.419 --> 00:31:28.079
 lowers

00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:28.639
 himself

00:31:28.639 --> 00:31:30.359
 to the

00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:30.779
 dust.

00:31:31.779 --> 00:31:32.379
 He

00:31:32.379 --> 00:31:32.819
 lowers

00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:33.299
 himself

00:31:33.299 --> 00:31:34.099
 to death

00:31:34.099 --> 00:31:35.939
 to lift

00:31:35.939 --> 00:31:36.859
 us up

00:31:36.859 --> 00:31:38.339
 to life.

00:31:38.339 --> 00:31:41.480
 as Paul,

00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:41.720
 who was

00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:42.039
 one of the

00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:42.459
 leaders in

00:31:42.459 --> 00:31:42.899
 the early

00:31:42.899 --> 00:31:43.419
 church,

00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:44.399
 said,

00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:44.980
 writing to

00:31:44.980 --> 00:31:45.339
 the church

00:31:45.339 --> 00:31:46.279
 in Philippi,

00:31:46.339 --> 00:31:46.619
 he said

00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:47.000
 this,

00:31:48.179 --> 00:31:48.599
 that Jesus

00:31:48.599 --> 00:31:49.559
 humbled himself

00:31:49.559 --> 00:31:50.220
 by becoming

00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:51.179
 obedient to

00:31:51.179 --> 00:31:51.619
 the point

00:31:51.619 --> 00:31:52.119
 of death,

00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:53.220
 even death

00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:54.439
 on a

00:31:54.439 --> 00:31:54.799
 cross.

00:31:57.299 --> 00:31:57.819
 Or,

00:31:57.899 --> 00:31:58.319
 as he says

00:31:58.319 --> 00:31:58.879
 elsewhere,

00:31:59.679 --> 00:32:00.159
 is that

00:32:00.159 --> 00:32:01.500
 we have

00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:02.899
 been raised

00:32:02.899 --> 00:32:03.980
 up with

00:32:03.980 --> 00:32:04.879
 Christ Jesus,

00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:06.259
 seated with

00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:07.419
 him in the

00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:08.560
 heavenly realms.

00:32:10.200 --> 00:32:10.860
 God raises

00:32:10.860 --> 00:32:11.380
 the poor

00:32:11.380 --> 00:32:11.800
 from the

00:32:11.800 --> 00:32:12.420
 dust and

00:32:12.420 --> 00:32:12.920
 lifts the

00:32:12.920 --> 00:32:13.360
 needy from

00:32:13.360 --> 00:32:13.660
 the ash.

00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:14.060
 You see,

00:32:14.140 --> 00:32:15.039
 everyone who

00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.539
 puts their

00:32:15.539 --> 00:32:16.620
 trust in

00:32:16.620 --> 00:32:19.279
 Jesus is

00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:19.980
 raised up

00:32:19.980 --> 00:32:20.400
 from the

00:32:20.400 --> 00:32:22.220
 dust and

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:22.940
 from death

00:32:22.940 --> 00:32:24.300
 to live

00:32:24.300 --> 00:32:24.920
 with him.

00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:27.539
 The one

00:32:27.539 --> 00:32:28.519
 on high

00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:31.200
 humbles

00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:31.880
 himself to

00:32:31.880 --> 00:32:32.400
 raise us

00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:32.860
 up from

00:32:32.860 --> 00:32:33.340
 death.

00:32:35.700 --> 00:32:36.340
 The

00:32:36.340 --> 00:32:36.980
 exalted

00:32:36.980 --> 00:32:37.539
 one

00:32:37.539 --> 00:32:38.599
 lowers

00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:39.160
 himself

00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:40.680
 so that

00:32:40.680 --> 00:32:41.200
 he might

00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:41.740
 exalt

00:32:41.740 --> 00:32:43.039
 the lowly

00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:43.500
 ones.

00:32:46.839 --> 00:32:47.500
 So just

00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:47.759
 as we

00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:48.240
 close,

00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:49.640
 remember

00:32:49.640 --> 00:32:49.819
 at the

00:32:49.819 --> 00:32:50.160
 beginning of

00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:50.559
 the service

00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:51.039
 we took

00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:51.440
 a moment

00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:51.920
 to look

00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:52.339
 through the

00:32:52.339 --> 00:32:53.660
 eyes of

00:32:53.660 --> 00:32:54.299
 that Fijian

00:32:54.299 --> 00:32:54.940
 soldier and

00:32:54.940 --> 00:32:55.680
 we imagined

00:32:55.680 --> 00:32:57.660
 what it

00:32:57.660 --> 00:32:57.980
 might be

00:32:57.980 --> 00:32:58.360
 like if

00:32:58.360 --> 00:32:58.700
 the queen

00:32:58.700 --> 00:32:59.079
 lowered

00:32:59.079 --> 00:32:59.700
 herself to

00:32:59.700 --> 00:33:00.059
 look at

00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:00.519
 him eye

00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:00.940
 to eye.

00:33:00.940 --> 00:33:04.960
 I want

00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:05.460
 to take

00:33:05.460 --> 00:33:05.740
 us to

00:33:05.740 --> 00:33:05.960
 another

00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:06.400
 scene,

00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:08.900
 something

00:33:08.900 --> 00:33:09.320
 that really

00:33:09.320 --> 00:33:09.840
 happens.

00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:12.019
 Remember we

00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:12.400
 spoke about

00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:13.000
 Peter a few

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:13.500
 times,

00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:14.920
 the one

00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:15.220
 named

00:33:15.220 --> 00:33:15.759
 Rock.

00:33:18.500 --> 00:33:19.100
 There was a

00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:21.039
 time when

00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:21.600
 he looked at

00:33:21.600 --> 00:33:22.120
 Jesus eye

00:33:22.120 --> 00:33:22.500
 to eye.

00:33:22.500 --> 00:33:26.859
 Jesus,

00:33:27.059 --> 00:33:27.700
 the Lord

00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:28.220
 of heaven

00:33:28.220 --> 00:33:30.119
 was bowed

00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:30.640
 down before

00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:32.380
 him and

00:33:32.380 --> 00:33:32.839
 took on the

00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:33.319
 role of a

00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:33.720
 servant

00:33:33.720 --> 00:33:38.240
 and he

00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:38.920
 washed the

00:33:38.920 --> 00:33:41.519
 feet and

00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:41.980
 he washed

00:33:41.980 --> 00:33:42.839
 the dust

00:33:42.839 --> 00:33:44.059
 off the

00:33:44.059 --> 00:33:44.519
 feet of

00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:44.880
 Peter,

00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:47.200
 cleaning

00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:47.599
 him,

00:33:47.599 --> 00:33:49.740
 claiming

00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:50.119
 him,

00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:51.500
 calling

00:33:51.500 --> 00:33:52.019
 him to

00:33:52.019 --> 00:33:52.639
 be his

00:33:52.639 --> 00:33:53.599
 very own.

00:33:56.199 --> 00:33:56.599
 You see,

00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:57.539
 this is the

00:33:57.539 --> 00:33:58.539
 God that

00:33:58.539 --> 00:33:59.219
 we worship.

00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:02.240
 This is the

00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:02.740
 God that we

00:34:02.740 --> 00:34:03.199
 praise.

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:05.439
 And so,

00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:06.339
 how can we

00:34:06.339 --> 00:34:06.959
 finish this?

00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:09.920
 Praise the

00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:10.219
 Lord.

00:34:12.279 --> 00:34:13.019
 Let us

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:13.699
 praise the

00:34:13.699 --> 00:34:14.019
 Lord.

00:34:16.139 --> 00:34:16.980
 Praise the

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:17.239
 Lord.

00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:19.480
 God our

00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:19.679
 Father,

00:34:19.799 --> 00:34:20.440
 we thank

00:34:20.440 --> 00:34:21.019
 you for

00:34:21.019 --> 00:34:22.659
 your grace

00:34:22.659 --> 00:34:23.299
 which is

00:34:23.299 --> 00:34:26.480
 beyond our

00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:27.279
 capacity to

00:34:27.279 --> 00:34:27.940
 grasp

00:34:27.940 --> 00:34:30.659
 the

00:34:30.659 --> 00:34:31.339
 magnitude

00:34:31.339 --> 00:34:31.839
 of your

00:34:31.839 --> 00:34:32.319
 mercy,

00:34:33.860 --> 00:34:35.960
 the

00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:36.940
 unfathomable

00:34:36.940 --> 00:34:37.599
 depths of

00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:38.119
 your love,

00:34:39.799 --> 00:34:41.599
 the

00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:42.380
 humility of

00:34:42.380 --> 00:34:42.880
 your son

00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:43.259
 Jesus.

00:34:43.260 --> 00:34:43.400
 Jesus.

00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:47.820
 But what a

00:34:47.820 --> 00:34:48.460
 glorious thing

00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:48.980
 to know

00:34:48.980 --> 00:34:51.960
 that not

00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:52.560
 only have

00:34:52.560 --> 00:34:53.140
 you met

00:34:53.140 --> 00:34:53.500
 us in

00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:54.040
 our mess,

00:34:56.040 --> 00:34:57.340
 saved us

00:34:57.340 --> 00:34:57.720
 from our

00:34:57.720 --> 00:34:58.020
 sin,

00:34:59.300 --> 00:35:00.540
 but that

00:35:00.540 --> 00:35:00.840
 through

00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:01.400
 Jesus,

00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:03.040
 you have

00:35:03.040 --> 00:35:03.660
 lifted us

00:35:03.660 --> 00:35:04.100
 up into

00:35:04.100 --> 00:35:04.720
 new life.

00:35:06.720 --> 00:35:07.320
 And so,

00:35:07.380 --> 00:35:07.540
 God,

00:35:07.600 --> 00:35:08.220
 we praise

00:35:08.220 --> 00:35:08.440
 you.

00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:12.220
 we praise

00:35:12.220 --> 00:35:12.900
 your holy

00:35:12.900 --> 00:35:13.280
 name.

00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:15.079
 It's in

00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:15.500
 Christ's name

00:35:15.500 --> 00:35:15.920
 we pray.

00:35:16.980 --> 00:35:17.320
 Amen.

00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:17.400
 Amen.

00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:18.460
 you