WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.700 We're going to begin our worship now by singing to God's praise in Psalm 93. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:11.599 It's the Sing Psalms version. You'll find it on page 123 of the Psalm book, Psalm 93. 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:15.300 We're going to sing from verse 1 to 5, the whole Psalm. 00:00:16.179 --> 00:00:20.260 The Lord is King, His throne endures, majestic in His height. 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:24.160 The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength and might. 00:00:24.699 --> 00:00:27.980 The world is founded, firm and sure, removed it cannot be. 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:32.299 Your throne is strong and you are God from all eternity. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:35.780 We'll stand to sing to God's praise the whole of this Psalm. 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:56.820 The Lord is King, His throne endures, majestic in His height. 00:00:56.820 --> 00:01:13.819 The Lord is full in majesty and armed with strength and might. 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:30.819 The world is founded, firm and sure, removed it cannot be. 00:01:30.819 --> 00:01:46.819 Your throne is strong and you are God from all eternity. 00:01:46.819 --> 00:02:06.819 The seas, O Lord, have lifted up, He lifted up their voice. 00:02:06.819 --> 00:02:24.780 The seeds have lifted up their weight, and made a mighty noise. 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:42.080 The Lord, in throne of highest strong, more powerful is He. 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:59.260 And thunder all the oceans' waves are breakers of the sea. 00:02:59.259 --> 00:03:15.259 Your royal statues, hearts and firm, unchanging is Your Word. 00:03:15.259 --> 00:03:33.340 And holiness adores Your hearts for endless days, O Lord. 00:03:40.340 --> 00:03:42.879 Well, we've come to God in prayer now. 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.680 We'll just bow our heads in a word of prayer. 00:03:45.259 --> 00:03:54.620 Lord, our God, our Father in heaven, as we unite our hearts together in prayer at this time, 00:03:54.699 --> 00:04:00.679 we thank You that You are a God who has not turned His back away from His people, 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:05.579 but indeed who we have the assurance through Your Word that You look down upon us 00:04:05.579 --> 00:04:09.139 and that You seek to meet with us this day as we come, 00:04:09.819 --> 00:04:12.439 to offer up our prayers and our praise to You. 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:19.139 As we join together to hear Your Word and to come to seek understanding from it, 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:23.300 we thank You that we have every promise in Your Word to lean upon, 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.519 as well as every warning that Your Word gives us as well, 00:04:27.579 --> 00:04:29.519 that we are to be a people who listen. 00:04:30.500 --> 00:04:33.860 And so we thank You that we can come and meet with You anew today 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:36.199 and seek Your blessing on all that we do. 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:42.620 We thank You for this, Your day, a day that has been set aside for this very purpose. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:46.860 There is a day that in the week that is different to all the others, 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:51.420 a day that we are to honour and to obey Your commands in, 00:04:52.159 --> 00:04:57.099 to rest from our work, but also to come and to praise and worship You 00:04:57.099 --> 00:04:59.740 according to Your Word and to Your truth. 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:03.879 So we ask Your help, Lord, as we come to do that, 00:05:04.379 --> 00:05:06.699 that from the youngest to the oldest here, 00:05:07.379 --> 00:05:11.360 our hearts will be enlarged by You and touched by You, 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.819 and that we will know that You have met with us through Your Holy Spirit 00:05:15.819 --> 00:05:19.560 that promise that He is always near to us. 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.379 That we do thank You for each other and for all who are here today. 00:05:24.379 --> 00:05:27.779 We thank You for the young children, Lord, and we pray for them. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:32.159 Giving thanks again for the holiday club and for all that was done in that week. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.920 Giving thanks for the creche and the tweenies 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.240 and Sunday schools will resume in the next few weeks as well. 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:43.420 We do pray for children and leaders alike to know Your blessing 00:05:43.420 --> 00:05:45.120 and Your peace upon them. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:48.980 We remember them, our young people, especially in this coming week 00:05:48.980 --> 00:05:50.540 as they go back to school. 00:05:50.540 --> 00:05:54.100 We pray for teachers and staff as they return. 00:05:54.819 --> 00:05:57.540 We pray that they will feel refreshed after their holidays 00:05:57.540 --> 00:05:59.140 and be ready for a new term. 00:05:59.939 --> 00:06:01.560 And that children will come back, Lord, 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:04.460 helped by You and encouraged by You. 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:08.620 Whether it's starting P1 for the first time, 00:06:08.700 --> 00:06:11.300 whether it's moving up a class or going into a new school, 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:13.920 whatever the situation may be, Lord, 00:06:13.960 --> 00:06:16.340 we ask that You will be with each and every one of them 00:06:16.340 --> 00:06:19.300 to lead them, to guide them, and to encourage them 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:20.480 every step of the way. 00:06:21.080 --> 00:06:23.040 We thank You for every home and family. 00:06:23.200 --> 00:06:26.540 And we know, Lord, that there are many different needs around us. 00:06:26.660 --> 00:06:28.280 There are many who are ill at this time. 00:06:28.960 --> 00:06:30.740 Many are in hospital and homes. 00:06:31.340 --> 00:06:33.620 Many who are mourning and grieving in our midst. 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:37.439 And we do pray for Your comfort to be upon each and every one 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:38.200 as they have need. 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:40.680 May You draw near to us in that way. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:44.420 May Your Word be blessed to us here throughout this day. 00:06:44.420 --> 00:06:47.180 And whatever is preached and proclaimed today, 00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:51.759 may You be in the midst of it all to bless Your people near and far 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.439 throughout our land, throughout our nation, 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:56.420 throughout nations of the world. 00:06:56.420 --> 00:07:00.879 We pray that You will send Your Word out with power to convict, 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:03.900 to convert, and to bring people close to You 00:07:03.900 --> 00:07:05.980 and to know especially the love of Jesus 00:07:05.980 --> 00:07:08.240 and to put their trust in Him. 00:07:08.900 --> 00:07:10.840 May You guide us all in His name. 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.360 Lead us, O Lord, into Your Word. 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:16.180 And in all that we do today and in all the days ahead, 00:07:16.700 --> 00:07:18.860 may we seek to walk closely with You. 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:22.580 And all we ask, we ask for the forgiveness of our sins. 00:07:22.819 --> 00:07:23.819 In Jesus' name. 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:24.759 Amen. 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:29.560 I'm going to say a few words to the young ones. 00:07:29.860 --> 00:07:31.139 Some of you will be going out in a wee minute. 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:32.540 Others will be staying in the service. 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:34.259 It's good to see you here today. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.780 Sometimes we might have conversations with each other, 00:07:39.020 --> 00:07:41.020 other young people, or maybe with your parents, 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:42.680 or people you meet in school. 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:46.500 And sometimes we can have little silly conversations sometimes 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:50.379 and maybe try and think about things that might be very different, 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.800 things outside the norm for us. 00:07:53.779 --> 00:07:55.379 And one of the things I was thinking about this week 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:58.019 and I read this week was somebody asking a question. 00:07:58.819 --> 00:08:00.040 And the question was this. 00:08:00.660 --> 00:08:02.920 If you were to be an animal, 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:06.300 what animal would you want to be? 00:08:07.019 --> 00:08:08.379 You can think about that for a wee minute. 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:10.000 If you were to be an animal, 00:08:10.540 --> 00:08:13.480 what kind of animal would you want to be? 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:17.319 And there's maybe all kinds of answers that will come to your mind. 00:08:17.400 --> 00:08:19.500 Maybe if you've got a dog at home, 00:08:19.939 --> 00:08:21.020 you'd want to be a dog. 00:08:21.080 --> 00:08:22.939 So you can just chase a ball all day 00:08:22.939 --> 00:08:25.140 or just run around and then go for a wee sleep 00:08:25.140 --> 00:08:26.060 and eat your food 00:08:26.060 --> 00:08:28.680 and go for walks and do things like that. 00:08:29.500 --> 00:08:31.160 Or maybe you've got a cat at home 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:32.379 and you see the cat. 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:34.480 The cat just wants to be the boss in the house 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.019 and to have everybody do other things for it. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:38.420 Maybe you'd want to be a cat 00:08:38.420 --> 00:08:40.860 or maybe you want to be something more exotic. 00:08:41.620 --> 00:08:42.820 Maybe you want to be a giraffe. 00:08:42.820 --> 00:08:46.040 To be really tall and to be able to reach up high. 00:08:46.620 --> 00:08:48.600 Or to be a lion or a tiger. 00:08:49.420 --> 00:08:52.000 Somebody that's an animal that's feared by people 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:53.300 and other animals as well. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:54.720 So we can always think about maybe 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:58.680 different kinds of animals we would want to be. 00:08:59.640 --> 00:09:03.440 But I wonder if any of you would want to be a sheep. 00:09:04.800 --> 00:09:07.380 Anybody put your hands up if you'd want to be a sheep. 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:10.440 I doubt if there's many hands going up. 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:11.860 Well, there's one. 00:09:12.400 --> 00:09:14.720 One hand's going up wanting to be a sheep. 00:09:15.160 --> 00:09:17.020 Because I don't know if you want to be a sheep. 00:09:17.060 --> 00:09:18.080 Anybody wants to be a sheep. 00:09:18.160 --> 00:09:19.820 Because sometimes you look at sheep and you think, 00:09:20.300 --> 00:09:23.620 my goodness, they seem to be just quite stupid sometimes, 00:09:23.700 --> 00:09:24.180 don't they? 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:27.280 They always get themselves stuck in a fence 00:09:27.280 --> 00:09:28.580 or stuck in a bog 00:09:28.580 --> 00:09:31.060 or going off in the wrong direction. 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:33.359 And yet the interesting thing is, 00:09:33.439 --> 00:09:34.859 when you think about a sheep, 00:09:35.179 --> 00:09:39.119 the Bible often describes us as sheep. 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:43.139 And it's one of the best used illustrations by Jesus 00:09:43.139 --> 00:09:45.559 and by others in the Bible to describe people 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:47.699 to be like sheep. 00:09:48.579 --> 00:09:50.239 But how are we like sheep? 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:52.619 Well, there's a few different ways. 00:09:53.500 --> 00:09:54.899 Sheep aren't very smart. 00:09:54.899 --> 00:09:57.459 Sometimes, like I was saying, 00:09:57.539 --> 00:09:59.959 they maybe go into a tight space. 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:02.379 And instead of trying to just turn around and go back out, 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:05.419 they try and keep going and force themselves through. 00:10:06.179 --> 00:10:07.120 They're stubborn. 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:08.919 And so are we. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:12.139 We can be stubborn sometimes as well. 00:10:12.819 --> 00:10:15.500 And sheep, they'll often follow other sheep. 00:10:15.579 --> 00:10:17.100 It doesn't matter where they're going 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:17.919 or what they're doing. 00:10:17.959 --> 00:10:19.960 Even when they're going into a dangerous place, 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:21.960 they'll follow other sheep. 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:24.900 And so we can be like that as well too. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:27.519 We can just follow other people. 00:10:27.660 --> 00:10:29.080 It doesn't matter where they're going 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:30.700 or what they're doing. 00:10:30.920 --> 00:10:33.139 We just keep following them. 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:39.460 But fortunately, sheep have a shepherd to look after them. 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:42.660 And if a shepherd is good and he loves his sheep, 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:45.360 he'll always make sure that his sheep are taken care of. 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:47.879 And that's the way we are as well. 00:10:47.940 --> 00:10:48.900 We have a shepherd, 00:10:48.900 --> 00:10:51.400 a good shepherd who looks after us. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:54.639 So even when we go off in the wrong direction 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:56.779 or we get stuck or do something wrong, 00:10:57.279 --> 00:10:59.559 we have a shepherd that looks after us. 00:11:00.259 --> 00:11:03.240 And that shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:05.480 He's the one we find described in the word 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:06.879 as the good shepherd. 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:09.819 In a psalm we know so well, Psalm 23, 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:13.120 that psalm reminds us that the Lord is our shepherd. 00:11:13.699 --> 00:11:16.759 And that's the shepherd we want to know. 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:20.480 So when you think about being like other animals, 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.519 what kind of animal you would like to be, 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:27.919 maybe think about the sheep and how we are like sheep. 00:11:28.319 --> 00:11:29.620 We can do the wrong things. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:30.819 We can go the wrong way. 00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:32.740 But we have a good shepherd, 00:11:33.340 --> 00:11:34.600 the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:38.280 who came to bring us back on the right path 00:11:38.280 --> 00:11:40.080 and to go the right way, 00:11:40.260 --> 00:11:43.500 to help us and to save us. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.580 May God bless these thoughts to us. 00:11:46.640 --> 00:11:50.340 Well, we're going to say the Lord's Prayer together now. 00:11:50.760 --> 00:11:51.920 You'll have it on your sheets. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:54.980 We'll repeat the Lord's Prayer together. 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:56.220 Let's say the Lord's Prayer. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:59.240 Our Father, which art in heaven, 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:01.039 hallowed be thy name. 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:02.940 Thy kingdom come. 00:12:03.420 --> 00:12:06.159 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:12:06.800 --> 00:12:08.860 Give us this day our daily bread 00:12:08.860 --> 00:12:12.659 and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. 00:12:13.180 --> 00:12:14.980 And lead us not into temptation, 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:17.279 but deliver us from evil. 00:12:17.860 --> 00:12:19.060 For thine is the kingdom, 00:12:19.360 --> 00:12:21.460 the power and the glory forever. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:22.399 Amen. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:22.600 Amen. 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:27.539 We're going to sing together again to God's praise 00:12:27.539 --> 00:12:29.659 now in Psalm 121 00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:32.419 in the Scottish Psalter version. 00:12:33.100 --> 00:12:36.299 You find it on page 416 of the Psalm books. 00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:39.720 Psalm 121. 00:12:44.259 --> 00:12:47.159 Again, we're going to sing the whole of this Psalm. 00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:49.159 I to the hills will lift mine eyes. 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:50.779 From whence doth come my need? 00:12:50.779 --> 00:12:53.459 My safety cometh from the Lord, 00:12:53.579 --> 00:12:55.639 who heaven and earth hath made. 00:12:55.720 --> 00:12:58.339 We'll stand to sing the whole of this Psalm 00:12:58.339 --> 00:12:59.480 to God's praise. 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:03.740 I to the hills will lift mine eyes. 00:13:03.740 --> 00:13:11.960 I to the hills will lift mine eyes. 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:19.460 From whence doth come my need? 00:13:19.460 --> 00:13:29.200 My safety cometh from the Lord, 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:37.019 who heaven and earth hath made. 00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:46.759 Thy foot, thy foot, thy foot, thy will. 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:54.480 His slumber that he keeps. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:03.379 Behold, he that keeps Israel. 00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:09.120 His slumber that he keeps. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:12.080 He slumber's not, nor sleeps. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:17.799 The Lord he keeps. 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:21.980 The Lord thy shade. 00:14:21.980 --> 00:14:29.720 On thy right hand thou stay. 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:35.320 The moon by night, 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:39.779 He shall not smite, 00:14:39.779 --> 00:14:47.580 Nor yet the sun by day. 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:55.320 The Lord shall keep thy soul. 00:14:55.320 --> 00:15:05.320 He shall preserve thee from all else. 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:22.860 in thy Emmanuel things. 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:31.139 We're going to turn now to read God's Word in the Bible. 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:35.620 We're going to read in the Gospel of Mark, reading in chapter 6. 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:40.779 And this is on page 1014, if you have the church Bibles. 00:15:42.700 --> 00:15:44.139 Mark chapter 6. 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:47.000 We're going to take up our reading at verse 7. 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:56.600 Mark chapter 6, reading at verse 7 down to verse 29. 00:15:57.259 --> 00:15:59.019 Let's hear God's Word. 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:04.240 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, 00:16:04.580 --> 00:16:07.360 and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 00:16:08.259 --> 00:16:11.759 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:15.299 no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, 00:16:15.299 --> 00:16:19.240 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:20.839 And he said to them, 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:25.019 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.219 And if any place will not receive you, 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:29.919 and they will not listen to you, 00:16:30.339 --> 00:16:33.799 when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:35.919 as a testimony against them. 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:40.059 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:46.439 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. 00:16:47.959 --> 00:16:52.579 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. 00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:57.059 Some said, John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. 00:16:57.839 --> 00:17:02.479 That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him. 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.559 But others said, He is Elijah. 00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:10.339 And others said, He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old. 00:17:11.339 --> 00:17:14.339 But when Herod heard of it, he said, 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:17.700 John, whom I beheaded, has been raised. 00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:21.700 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John, 00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:25.460 and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:27.680 his brother Philip's wife, 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:29.539 because he had married her. 00:17:29.539 --> 00:17:32.440 For John had been saying to Herod, 00:17:32.619 --> 00:17:36.339 it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. 00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:39.700 And Herodias had a grudge against him, 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:42.399 and wanted to put him to death, 00:17:42.980 --> 00:17:44.019 but she could not. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.000 For Herod feared John, 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:49.059 knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:51.180 and he kept him safe. 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:52.940 When he heard him, 00:17:53.399 --> 00:17:55.180 he was greatly perplexed, 00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:57.000 and yet he heard him gladly. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:00.019 But an opportunity came when Herod, 00:18:00.099 --> 00:18:00.819 on his birthday, 00:18:00.940 --> 00:18:02.779 gave a banquet for his nobles, 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:04.440 and military commanders, 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:06.200 and the leading men of Galilee. 00:18:06.900 --> 00:18:09.859 But when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, 00:18:10.140 --> 00:18:12.140 and she pleased Herod and his guests. 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:14.200 And the king said to the girl, 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:16.660 Ask me for whatever you wish, 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.640 and I will give it to you. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:20.420 And he vowed to her, 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:21.960 whatever you ask me, 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:24.420 I will give you up to half my kingdom. 00:18:24.420 --> 00:18:27.320 And she went out and said to her mother, 00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:29.500 For what should I ask? 00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:30.980 And she said, 00:18:31.340 --> 00:18:33.000 The head of John the Baptist. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:37.060 And she came in immediately with haste to the king, 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:38.279 and asked, saying, 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.640 I want you to give me at once 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:43.380 the head of John the Baptist on a platter. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:46.820 And the king was exceedingly sorry, 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:49.700 but because of his oaths and his guests, 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:52.480 he did not want to break his word to her. 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:55.960 And immediately the king sent an executioner 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:58.439 with orders to bring John's head. 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:01.480 He went and beheaded him in the prison, 00:19:02.019 --> 00:19:03.720 and brought his head on a platter, 00:19:04.220 --> 00:19:05.379 and gave it to the girl, 00:19:05.399 --> 00:19:07.460 and the girl gave it to her mother. 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:10.460 When his disciples heard of it, 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:12.679 they came and took his body, 00:19:13.159 --> 00:19:14.519 and laid it in a tomb. 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:16.759 And so on, and may God bless 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:19.180 that reading from his word. 00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:21.440 And before we come back to look at 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:22.819 some of that passage, 00:19:22.900 --> 00:19:25.139 we're going to again sing to God's praise 00:19:25.139 --> 00:19:26.400 in Psalm 32. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.299 In the Scottish Psalter version, 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.740 it's on page 244 of the Psalm book. 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:36.259 Psalm 32. 00:19:38.259 --> 00:19:40.220 And at verse 7. 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:46.120 There art my hiding place, 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:48.440 thou shalt from trouble keep me free. 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:50.700 Thou with songs of deliverance 00:19:50.700 --> 00:19:52.140 about shalt compass me. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:53.839 I will instruct thee, 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:55.120 and they teach the way 00:19:55.120 --> 00:19:56.480 that thou shalt go. 00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:59.039 And with mine eye upon thee set, 00:19:59.120 --> 00:20:01.279 I will direction show. 00:20:01.360 --> 00:20:02.839 We're going to sing from verse 7 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:03.839 to the end of the Psalm, 00:20:03.900 --> 00:20:04.400 verse 11, 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:05.660 to God's praise. 00:20:05.700 --> 00:20:07.220 And again we stand to sing. 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:19.039 The Lord my hiding place, 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:28.640 thou shalt from trouble keep me free. 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:38.420 Thou with songs of deliverance, 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:46.320 a bird shall compass me. 00:20:46.320 --> 00:20:56.460 I will instruct thee and be teach, 00:20:56.460 --> 00:21:03.460 the way that thou shalt go. 00:21:03.460 --> 00:21:13.840 And with mine eye upon thee set, 00:21:13.840 --> 00:21:21.200 I will direction show. 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:32.200 Then be not like the horse or mule, 00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:39.200 which could not understand, 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:49.200 whose mouth lest they come near to thee, 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:57.200 a bridal must command. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:07.200 And to the man that wicked is, 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:15.559 his sorrows shall abound. 00:22:15.559 --> 00:22:24.559 But him that trusted in the Lord, 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:32.559 mercy shall compass round. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:43.460 Ye righteous in the Lord be glad, 00:22:43.460 --> 00:22:45.460 in him that upright, 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:50.460 in him he rejoice. 00:22:50.460 --> 00:22:56.460 O he that upright, 00:22:56.460 --> 00:23:00.460 in heart, 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:08.460 for joy lift up your voice. 00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:14.460 O he that holy is. 00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:17.460 But before we turn back to look at the Gospel of Mark, 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:19.460 we'll bow our heads again in a word of prayer. 00:23:19.460 --> 00:23:20.460 Let us pray. 00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:30.380 Lord our God as we continue in our worship as we seek your help as we turn to your word we 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:36.559 we thank you that it is a living word a word that ministers to our hearts and to our souls 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:43.579 and may you bring it alive in our own hearts today to bring that joy of salvation into our 00:23:43.579 --> 00:23:49.759 hearts whether it's to know it once again or to know it for the first time that we would find 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:58.279 in your word the beauty of Christ and the love of Jesus shown to us the one who came who into this 00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:07.339 world who you sent into this world for the salvation of our souls the one who gave his life as a ransom 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:15.099 for many so we thank you that your word instructs and teaches us and we pray that it will do that for 00:24:15.099 --> 00:24:23.659 us anew today we continue to remember Lord all that goes on around us we know the many needs that 00:24:23.659 --> 00:24:31.099 surround us and even in this past week the many things that have maybe shocked us in a sense we 00:24:31.099 --> 00:24:39.399 know that in life there are many troubles and yet Jesus says to be of good courage for he has overcome 00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:46.840 the world and so we pray that we will remember that and that others will be able to to take hold of that 00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:55.560 message and even to share that message of hope found in Christ as Lord we prayed for congregations near 00:24:55.560 --> 00:25:03.100 and far but in this past week our minds have been filled with events close to home for us in the 00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:11.799 island of sky with a tragedy that unfolded there and we do remember all the families grieving at this 00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:17.699 time and concerned for loved ones the many who are troubled in their hearts and in their spirits 00:25:17.699 --> 00:25:26.039 we pray Lord for your comfort for your peace to be upon a people there and for those who minister 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:35.019 into that situation we pray for you to give words of wisdom of help to know what to say and how to say it 00:25:35.019 --> 00:25:43.299 we can feel like helpless comforters at times but we thank you that as we lean upon you and trust in you 00:25:43.299 --> 00:25:50.680 you assure us of giving words that we need as and when required so Lord may you minister into that 00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:58.600 situation as well as the many needful situations around us too we thank you that you are a God whose 00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:05.720 eyes are always upon the whole of your creation that even as the psalm that we sang together at the 00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:14.100 beginning psalm 121 it reminds us that in our troubles in our days of wondering where we are to look to for 00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:21.779 help that we can lift our eyes to the Lord so may you help us even now to lift our eyes to you and to 00:26:21.779 --> 00:26:28.419 see that you are a God who is near and near to help guide us then into your word now as we come to it 00:26:28.419 --> 00:26:36.919 help us that we will hear from it and recognize our own need in it too to choose wisely and to follow the 00:26:36.920 --> 00:26:44.759 paths of life as found in Christ so Lord hear our prayers and continue with us now we ask we ask in 00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:55.420 Jesus precious name amen we can turn back to our reading in the gospel of Mark chapter 6 and we're 00:26:55.420 --> 00:27:01.539 going to look in particular at this event surrounding the life of King Herod and all that took place in 00:27:01.539 --> 00:27:11.379 verse 14 down to verse 29 King Herod had met with John the Baptist many times he'd heard John the Baptist 00:27:11.379 --> 00:27:19.440 speaking to him about the gospel the good news of Jesus and as we read there in verse 20 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:28.339 Herod feared God John knowing that he was a righteous and holy man and he kept him safe when he heard him 00:27:28.339 --> 00:27:35.720 he was greatly perplexed and yet he heard him gladly so John the Baptist was someone who had ministered to 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:43.399 King Herod a great privilege to be able to minister to him but King Herod was in conflict in his own life 00:27:43.399 --> 00:27:50.619 which way he would go which way he would choose and that's the theme of our service this morning 00:27:50.619 --> 00:27:58.039 the choices we make and the consequences that they have we're going to look in particular at the choices 00:27:58.039 --> 00:28:06.339 that King Herod made and how we can learn lessons for ourselves because our lives are full of choices 00:28:06.339 --> 00:28:14.879 every single day we make choices some with great significance others less so but all of them 00:28:14.879 --> 00:28:20.259 combining into our life and the way we are living and the direction that we are going in 00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:28.160 we chose today whether we would come to church or not we might choose later what we will eat or what 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:37.460 we won't eat our life is always full of choice but the most important choices we make and should or 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:43.920 should make are based on what we find before us today in the Word of God and in the instruction 00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:54.460 that the Word of God gives us the Gospel of Mark as you read through it you find the ministry of Jesus 00:28:54.460 --> 00:29:00.700 going through different towns and villages meeting with different people all the time and all the time 00:29:00.700 --> 00:29:07.259 people being presented with a choice are they going to listen or are they going to shun this teaching are 00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:12.480 they going to follow Jesus or are they going to keep going in their own paths their own direction 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:20.660 the beginning of this chapter as Jesus comes in to Nazareth his own hometown he's ministering there 00:29:20.660 --> 00:29:28.960 and the people are presented with the Gospel and yet so many of them just turn their back on it 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:36.960 and here we are gathered together under God's Word once again I'm sure most of us maybe majority of 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:44.360 us have been here on many occasions hearing the Word of God and the question is still do we accept it 00:29:44.360 --> 00:29:51.860 do we believe it or do we ignore it what are we going to do today with the Gospel that we hear what have 00:29:51.860 --> 00:30:00.120 you done with the Gospel you've heard in the past what choice have you made with it well in these verses 00:30:00.119 --> 00:30:08.659 before us today we hear how John the Baptist the one who was the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ the 00:30:08.659 --> 00:30:16.379 one who who went to prepare the way for him who was telling others that greater than him was coming after him 00:30:16.379 --> 00:30:26.239 we read of him here and we see how his life came to an abrupt end how King Herod had it had him 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:36.460 beheaded and this was the result his death was result of the choices made by this man King Herod 00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:43.680 he chose whether to have John killed or whether to spare his life and as you read there in verse 20 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:51.240 for a long time he had spared his life he had kept him safe but he found himself now in a very 00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:59.420 difficult position where he was under pressure and what choice would he make in the midst of this 00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:07.339 pressure the scripture is full the whole of the Bible is full of seeing people making choices 00:31:07.339 --> 00:31:13.720 from the very beginning when you go back to the book of Genesis you find Adam and Eve presented with 00:31:13.720 --> 00:31:21.220 choice in the midst of the garden would they obey the voice of God who had told them what they could 00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:26.360 and what they couldn't do or would they listen to the tempter who had come into their midst and told 00:31:26.360 --> 00:31:34.000 them not to listen to God but to make their own choices to do their own thing you see there they 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:42.120 chose wrongly and sin came into the world and all the consequences that that brought now we recognize 00:31:42.120 --> 00:31:48.940 as we're talking about choices that we're always seeing God as sovereign and overruling in all our choices 00:31:48.940 --> 00:32:01.360 but we also see our own responsibilities God's sovereignty and man's responsibility is always 00:32:01.360 --> 00:32:07.140 before us but as you read through the scripture you see we're always presented with the choices 00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:16.039 that we are to make but here in this passage King Herod after the events of the beheading of John the 00:32:16.039 --> 00:32:24.619 Baptist has now heard something that's leaving him troubled he's hearing all about the work of Jesus 00:32:24.619 --> 00:32:32.359 and he's hearing some who are saying John the Baptist has been raised from the dead and this leaves him 00:32:32.359 --> 00:32:41.899 troubled John the Baptist has come back it's causing him a great fear and this passage before us as well as 00:32:41.900 --> 00:32:50.000 speaking into the present situation of herod brings us into the past and the choices that he made and I 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:58.140 want us to think of these choices together those in the past seeing the choices he made seeing the 00:32:58.140 --> 00:33:05.300 consequences of it and the pressure he was under and then bringing it into the present where King Herod is 00:33:05.299 --> 00:33:13.059 now reflecting on his life and the choices that he has made and thinking of the consequences of it 00:33:13.059 --> 00:33:21.480 so first of all we think of the choices that King Herod made and the choices that we make ourselves 00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:33.759 somebody once said our outlook on life is not best expressed in words it is expressed in the choices 00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:42.200 we make in the long run we shape our lives and we shape ourselves the process never ends until we die 00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:47.900 and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility 00:33:47.900 --> 00:33:58.519 our lives are shaped by the choices that we make as well as the Lord's sovereign will in our life 00:33:58.519 --> 00:34:06.720 and as we read in this passage we see that Herod he didn't just make one choice that impacted his life 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:13.440 he made a series of choices at different points in his life that affected his whole life 00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:23.179 and when you look at the many wrong choices that he made here you look at verse 17 and there we're giving 00:34:23.179 --> 00:34:30.619 an insight into the choices that he's made in the past and the wrong choices that he's made in the past 00:34:30.619 --> 00:34:40.159 we read in verse 17 that Herod had had John seized and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:42.799 his brother Philip's wife 00:34:42.799 --> 00:34:51.679 he was under pressure from his wife his wife didn't like John the Baptist and what he was saying about their 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:56.859 marriage and it being wrong and he was under pressure so he had him arrested and sort of 00:34:56.859 --> 00:35:05.759 try to just push him away to the side but at the same time trying to keep him safe he didn't have to do 00:35:05.759 --> 00:35:13.440 this he didn't have to put him in prison but it was the wrong thing to do it was the wrong choice 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:23.900 and the basis of this is on another wrong choice he made in his life he had married Herodias his brother's 00:35:23.900 --> 00:35:31.840 wife he had made an unwise choice there it wasn't the right thing to do but he had a choice in it 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:37.519 and it was this choice that was really at the heart of everything that was going wrong in his life 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:45.900 he was enjoying hearing John the Baptist at one point perplexed and yet heard him gladly as it 00:35:45.900 --> 00:35:51.820 says in verse 20 but now with Herodias in the midst of it she was trouble for him 00:35:51.820 --> 00:36:00.099 and that's the reality of life for Herod here he's in the midst of the mixture of all the different 00:36:00.099 --> 00:36:06.779 choices he's made in life and being pulled in different directions and so often it's the case 00:36:06.779 --> 00:36:14.839 for ourselves too the choices that we've made maybe in the past are continually affecting our lives 00:36:14.839 --> 00:36:22.779 some are good choices some are wise choices and have helped us go on the right way others we maybe 00:36:22.779 --> 00:36:29.519 look back and think they were the wrong choices I've made they've had a maybe a lasting impact on my life 00:36:29.519 --> 00:36:36.679 in a bad way but what we see as we look at Herodias and as we look at our own lives no matter the wrong 00:36:36.679 --> 00:36:47.519 choices we've made there is always opportunity to come back and find the right path you think of people 00:36:47.519 --> 00:36:56.179 who are in prison they're there because very often they've made a wrong choice taking a wrong decision 00:36:56.179 --> 00:37:03.819 and there are consequences to these choices they find themselves now entrapped in prison 00:37:03.819 --> 00:37:13.559 but the reality is prison isn't always walls and bars and locked gates we often find ourselves in prison 00:37:13.559 --> 00:37:20.219 in this world because of the choices we have made we're not put locked away but we feel imprisoned in 00:37:20.219 --> 00:37:26.179 our lives we feel like we're compressed in our lives under pressure in our lives because of the choices 00:37:26.179 --> 00:37:35.759 that we've made but the scripture is there to help us and to guide us out of the sense of being in prison 00:37:35.759 --> 00:37:44.239 to the freedom that is found in Christ and for Herod this was something that he'd been hearing about 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:52.879 again and again again as verse 20 just shows to us there is this enjoyment he had of meeting with John the Baptist 00:37:52.879 --> 00:38:04.219 of hearing about the works of Christ he heard him gladly but pulled away in a different direction because of the wrong 00:38:04.219 --> 00:38:12.359 choices that he made he feared when he was hearing about Christ but at the end of the day 00:38:12.360 --> 00:38:20.920 he chose to ignore him and not to accept him the greatest choice in life he got wrong 00:38:20.920 --> 00:38:30.200 and what about for ourselves today how are we choosing with this gospel how are we choosing with this Christ 00:38:30.200 --> 00:38:37.200 who we hear about so often are we choosing to follow to trust to believe with all our heart 00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:46.319 or are we turning away Joshua in the old testament that says these great words as he's surrounded by 00:38:46.319 --> 00:38:53.119 people who are choosing many other different gods in life he says to them choose this day whom you will 00:38:53.119 --> 00:39:05.879 serve but he says as for me and my house we will serve the Lord Joshua chose wisely but for so many 00:39:05.880 --> 00:39:13.400 things it's an unwise choice we come to we reject or we turn away from the Lord 00:39:13.400 --> 00:39:20.619 Dwight L Moody the great evangelist of many years ago he tells a story of a young Christian man who went 00:39:20.619 --> 00:39:26.559 to university in England and he was studying there studying diligently but he was surrounded by people 00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:33.039 who didn't believe in God and would often debate with him about how God is not real or we don't need the 00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:39.820 Lord Jesus in our lives and this one day he was discussing debating with another student 00:39:39.820 --> 00:39:48.119 discussing faith in the Bible and they were batting back and forth this Christian student he felt he 00:39:48.119 --> 00:39:54.900 wasn't as well educated as eloquent in his language as this other student who was seemed to be more 00:39:54.900 --> 00:40:01.440 advanced in his knowledge than him and he wasn't getting anywhere no matter what he said in this debate 00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:07.039 he wasn't getting anywhere he was always getting an answer back that seemed to just push him further and 00:40:07.039 --> 00:40:14.039 further away and in the end he said look I'm not as eloquent as you I'm not as good as debating as you 00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:25.760 but he said what if I could prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is who he claims to be 00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:38.180 would you be willing to acknowledge him as Lord and as your Lord to prove without a shadow of a doubt that Christ is real 00:40:38.180 --> 00:40:47.720 and who he claims to be would you believe immediately the student he was debating with said no certainly not 00:40:47.719 --> 00:40:58.000 it didn't matter what he would say what he would show of the reality of Christ this man was unwilling to believe 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:06.319 and you see that's often the problem with the knowledge of God it's not that the the facts aren't there 00:41:06.319 --> 00:41:15.339 it's not that God cannot be known it's that the natural desire of our heart is to reject and to push God 00:41:15.340 --> 00:41:26.460 away our natural choice in life is to shun God to push him further and further away 00:41:26.460 --> 00:41:37.019 Herod is an example to us of that of choosing wrongly in his past he has made all these wrong choices 00:41:37.019 --> 00:41:42.680 and all they have done is pushed God further and further away 00:41:42.679 --> 00:41:50.139 but we're thankful that the scripture is full of others who remind us and show us that we can come 00:41:50.139 --> 00:41:56.679 to Christ no matter the choices that we've made in the past and find with him one who is willing to 00:41:56.679 --> 00:42:04.159 forgive to heal and to help just think of the gospel of Mark itself it's full of accounts of Jesus meeting 00:42:04.159 --> 00:42:12.599 people who have made so many wrong decisions and yet they come empty-handed with nothing left they come to 00:42:12.599 --> 00:42:17.519 Christ and they come to Christ and they find in him one who gives him everything that they need 00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:25.099 the opposite is true of King Herod he came with maybe everything he needed but he left with nothing 00:42:25.099 --> 00:42:33.319 because he rejected Christ Herod chose unwisely and so many times in his life 00:42:33.320 --> 00:42:41.059 how will you choose today how have you been choosing to live your life how will you choose 00:42:41.059 --> 00:42:51.220 to live your life as you go on our choices are always before us the second thing we see of Herod though 00:42:51.220 --> 00:42:57.300 is he's surrounded by people who are putting pressure on him and this is something we can often feel 00:42:57.300 --> 00:43:05.519 in our own lives to today the sense of peer pressure you can maybe say well it wasn't all Herod's fault 00:43:05.519 --> 00:43:12.160 everything that happened here and the consequences it brought it wasn't all Herod's fault you could 00:43:12.160 --> 00:43:20.519 blame it maybe on his wife or his wife's daughter you can say well it was their fault just in the same way 00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:29.039 as you go back to Adam and Eve where the blame is seemed to be passed Adam blames his wife Eve blames 00:43:29.039 --> 00:43:35.759 the serpent the buck is passed we can always try and pass the blame off to somebody else 00:43:35.759 --> 00:43:44.579 so was Herod here was he just in a situation where it was somebody else's fault peer pressure was to blame 00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:57.099 for the choices that we made that he made no he made the choice he chose everything that we see before us 00:43:57.099 --> 00:44:08.099 here he made that final choice and he had to live with the consequences of it we all make our own choices 00:44:08.099 --> 00:44:15.440 we can always try and blame others for the choices that we have made but at the end of the day the 00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:23.839 choices are in our own hands Herod's wife Herodias had put pressure on him she had been almost constantly 00:44:23.839 --> 00:44:29.880 putting pressure on him so so Herod had put John the Baptist in prison to try and get her off his case 00:44:29.880 --> 00:44:37.420 but it wouldn't go away and she was still wanting more she wanted John the Baptist put to death 00:44:37.420 --> 00:44:46.380 he was saying the relationship was wrong he wanted to keep his wife happy and he was in the midst 00:44:46.380 --> 00:44:55.099 of this pressure what do I do who do I try and please and in our own lives we can come under pressure 00:44:55.099 --> 00:45:00.079 from other people as well we will often have that sense of who are we going to please 00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:07.400 it could be a husband or a wife it could be children or parents it could be our bosses at work 00:45:07.400 --> 00:45:14.940 it can be our friends so often in our life there is this pressure coming upon us from all different 00:45:14.940 --> 00:45:23.800 directions we have an abundance of peer pressure and it can keep us from doing what is right with God 00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:32.840 and this is something we have to be so careful about the most important thing for us to do is not as our 00:45:32.840 --> 00:45:40.180 friends want us to do the pressures to do the wrong things in life or to go to the wrong places 00:45:40.180 --> 00:45:48.500 but the the pressure we should feel most is to do what is right with God to do what is right 00:45:48.500 --> 00:45:54.880 in following the Lord Jesus and his commands something that Herod had heard so much about 00:45:54.880 --> 00:46:04.059 and was gladly hearing and yet perplexed with and now just pushing away in verse 26 we are given a 00:46:04.059 --> 00:46:11.380 great insight into the choice that Herod made in the pressure he was under when you read in verse 26 it 00:46:11.380 --> 00:46:18.240 says the king was exceedingly sorry he'd found himself in this situation where he had to choose 00:46:18.239 --> 00:46:25.479 under pressure what am I going to do am I going to please my wife or lose face with the important 00:46:25.479 --> 00:46:32.639 people around me here these people had come to his birthday party who he'd tried to impress and he'd said 00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:40.299 to Herodias his daughter I will give you anything you ask for up to half my kingdom she asked for John 00:46:40.300 --> 00:46:48.880 the Baptist's head on a platter now what's he going to do he's torn in different directions he's feeling 00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:58.620 this pressure he's greatly distressed he's torn in different directions he knew what he did was wrong 00:46:58.620 --> 00:47:06.080 the choice he made was wrong but because of the important people around him he decided losing face with 00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:14.079 them it was more important not losing face with them was more important than having John the Baptist beheaded 00:47:14.079 --> 00:47:24.759 do you feel that kind of pressure today when it comes to the things of God when it comes to following 00:47:24.759 --> 00:47:32.179 the Lord Jesus peer pressure starts from a very young age and in many ways it can sometimes seem 00:47:32.179 --> 00:47:40.339 just harmless things going along with what others are doing having the same things that other people have 00:47:40.339 --> 00:47:49.339 it'll follow us into our teenage years into our working life into our old age there's always a sense of 00:47:49.339 --> 00:48:00.460 pressure the danger is that we let that pressure control every decision we make and especially when it comes 00:48:00.460 --> 00:48:07.340 to the things of God to feel a sense of pressure that you're going to be different if you become a 00:48:07.340 --> 00:48:13.380 Christian that your life is going to lack all joy if you become a Christian that you're going to have 00:48:13.380 --> 00:48:19.440 nothing if you become a Christian that is going to affect the choices you have in the workplace or even the work 00:48:19.440 --> 00:48:29.659 you're able to take to live for Christ brings with its other pressures but it brings the promise that he is with us 00:48:29.659 --> 00:48:36.319 and he will honor us to be a Christian today is being in the minority in so many places 00:48:36.319 --> 00:48:44.359 but does that make it wrong no because God is always calling us to himself 00:48:44.359 --> 00:48:54.759 Herod didn't follow the advice of John he didn't listen to the gospel that John proclaimed to him because if he 00:48:54.760 --> 00:49:01.600 had he would have been in the minority would have cost him in the short term he would have lost face with so many 00:49:01.600 --> 00:49:11.940 but the greatest loss was in the long term and he lost or the danger was of losing his soul 00:49:11.940 --> 00:49:19.200 and that is the pressure that we are under today ourselves we're torn maybe between doing what is right 00:49:19.199 --> 00:49:26.439 with God giving our life to the Lord Jesus and keeping others who are close to us happy not losing face 00:49:26.439 --> 00:49:27.679 with others 00:49:27.679 --> 00:49:32.879 that's the decisions that we're always faced with 00:49:32.879 --> 00:49:38.179 in the midst of it we are to choose wisely 00:49:38.179 --> 00:49:41.739 maybe today you're finding yourself 00:49:41.739 --> 00:49:44.539 you doubt if God is real 00:49:44.539 --> 00:49:47.759 you doubt if it's going to make a difference 00:49:47.759 --> 00:49:49.139 in your life 00:49:49.139 --> 00:49:53.119 maybe today you're angry with God 00:49:53.119 --> 00:49:55.599 because of something that's come into your life 00:49:55.599 --> 00:49:56.799 into your experience 00:49:56.799 --> 00:50:00.039 you're finding yourself in a rage against God 00:50:00.039 --> 00:50:05.099 well sometimes these are not the right moments 00:50:05.099 --> 00:50:07.380 to choose to reject God 00:50:07.380 --> 00:50:11.980 but instead to come and ask questions about God 00:50:11.980 --> 00:50:13.319 to ask 00:50:13.319 --> 00:50:14.739 can he be real 00:50:14.739 --> 00:50:15.420 is he real 00:50:15.420 --> 00:50:16.519 can he help me 00:50:16.519 --> 00:50:20.159 to put yourself in the right place with the right people 00:50:20.159 --> 00:50:21.940 who are able to guide you 00:50:21.940 --> 00:50:23.579 on the right path 00:50:23.579 --> 00:50:26.139 sometimes when we're at our lowest 00:50:26.139 --> 00:50:28.119 or our darkest point 00:50:28.119 --> 00:50:30.219 God can come in the midst 00:50:30.219 --> 00:50:32.380 but at other points like you see with Herod here 00:50:32.380 --> 00:50:33.860 and the pressure he is under 00:50:33.860 --> 00:50:36.220 he pushes God away 00:50:36.220 --> 00:50:40.519 a man told a story about his father 00:50:40.519 --> 00:50:42.740 his father who was struggling 00:50:42.740 --> 00:50:45.800 to keep the house warm during winter 00:50:45.800 --> 00:50:48.960 and they had run out of firewood 00:50:48.960 --> 00:50:50.320 and they were struggling 00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:51.660 and he was wondering what will I do 00:50:51.660 --> 00:50:54.460 but he knew there was this tree out in the garden 00:50:54.460 --> 00:50:56.240 and in his eyes the tree was dead 00:50:56.240 --> 00:50:57.579 it had died in the winter 00:50:57.579 --> 00:50:59.720 no leaves, nothing 00:50:59.719 --> 00:51:03.059 and the coal just made the branches so brittle 00:51:03.059 --> 00:51:05.019 that if you could just snap them 00:51:05.019 --> 00:51:06.159 with your hand 00:51:06.159 --> 00:51:07.039 in his eyes 00:51:07.039 --> 00:51:10.179 the tree was dead 00:51:10.179 --> 00:51:13.319 and so he decided to cut it down 00:51:13.319 --> 00:51:16.539 and he used it as firewood 00:51:16.539 --> 00:51:18.819 but come the spring 00:51:18.819 --> 00:51:20.399 to his dismay 00:51:20.399 --> 00:51:23.819 he realized that the stump that was there 00:51:23.819 --> 00:51:25.679 was now sprouting new shoots 00:51:25.679 --> 00:51:27.839 there had still been life 00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:29.940 and the tree, a tree that had provided 00:51:29.940 --> 00:51:31.280 so much fruit for them 00:51:31.280 --> 00:51:32.120 in the summer months 00:51:32.120 --> 00:51:32.940 was now gone 00:51:32.940 --> 00:51:35.480 because of a rash decision that he'd made 00:51:35.480 --> 00:51:36.780 thinking there's no life 00:51:36.780 --> 00:51:38.180 in this tree 00:51:38.180 --> 00:51:40.600 and it would take years 00:51:40.600 --> 00:51:41.400 for that tree 00:51:41.400 --> 00:51:43.120 to come back to bearing 00:51:43.120 --> 00:51:45.360 as much fruit as it had once done 00:51:45.360 --> 00:51:47.400 and he said to his son 00:51:47.400 --> 00:51:49.579 don't forget this lesson 00:51:49.579 --> 00:51:53.200 never cut down a tree 00:51:53.200 --> 00:51:54.260 in the winter time 00:51:54.260 --> 00:51:57.660 never make a rash decision 00:51:57.660 --> 00:51:59.600 in the low times in your life 00:51:59.600 --> 00:52:02.000 never make these kinds of decisions 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:03.860 in your worst mood 00:52:03.860 --> 00:52:05.180 wait 00:52:05.180 --> 00:52:06.920 be patient 00:52:06.920 --> 00:52:08.300 the storm will pass 00:52:08.300 --> 00:52:08.800 he said 00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:09.900 and the spring 00:52:09.900 --> 00:52:11.080 will come 00:52:11.080 --> 00:52:14.940 in our own low points in life 00:52:14.940 --> 00:52:16.400 or when we're angry with God 00:52:16.400 --> 00:52:17.920 that's not the time 00:52:17.920 --> 00:52:19.380 to just push him away 00:52:19.380 --> 00:52:22.059 it's a time 00:52:22.059 --> 00:52:23.700 to draw near to him 00:52:23.700 --> 00:52:24.360 even more 00:52:24.360 --> 00:52:25.980 to realize 00:52:25.980 --> 00:52:27.079 the life 00:52:27.079 --> 00:52:27.860 that is in him 00:52:27.860 --> 00:52:29.760 to surround yourself 00:52:29.760 --> 00:52:30.680 with people 00:52:30.680 --> 00:52:32.000 who are able to guide you 00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:32.880 and to help you 00:52:32.880 --> 00:52:34.860 to show you the way to Christ 00:52:34.860 --> 00:52:36.599 the life that is found in him 00:52:36.599 --> 00:52:38.579 that he is 00:52:38.579 --> 00:52:40.900 the one who is able to save 00:52:40.900 --> 00:52:43.980 we are surrounded 00:52:43.980 --> 00:52:46.260 by those who will tell us otherwise 00:52:46.260 --> 00:52:48.160 there's peer pressure 00:52:48.159 --> 00:52:48.839 all around us 00:52:48.839 --> 00:52:49.359 and Herod 00:52:49.359 --> 00:52:50.799 had all these people 00:52:50.799 --> 00:52:51.359 around him 00:52:51.359 --> 00:52:53.339 he didn't want to lose face with 00:52:53.339 --> 00:52:56.259 but they became more important 00:52:56.259 --> 00:52:57.759 than his own life 00:52:57.759 --> 00:52:58.980 and his own soul 00:52:58.980 --> 00:53:01.639 so for ourselves today 00:53:01.639 --> 00:53:03.319 make sure we see 00:53:03.319 --> 00:53:04.460 the precious nature 00:53:04.460 --> 00:53:05.339 of our soul 00:53:05.339 --> 00:53:06.920 and above all 00:53:06.920 --> 00:53:08.219 the beauty of Christ 00:53:08.219 --> 00:53:10.839 who is able to save our soul 00:53:10.839 --> 00:53:13.799 and to choose wisely 00:53:13.799 --> 00:53:16.279 and the final thing 00:53:16.279 --> 00:53:17.440 just briefly we see 00:53:17.440 --> 00:53:18.880 with Herod here 00:53:18.880 --> 00:53:20.240 is the consequences 00:53:20.240 --> 00:53:22.460 of all these choices 00:53:22.460 --> 00:53:24.659 we come back to 00:53:24.659 --> 00:53:26.720 looking at Herod now 00:53:26.720 --> 00:53:27.960 in his present situation 00:53:27.960 --> 00:53:29.280 he's reflecting on the decisions 00:53:29.280 --> 00:53:30.480 he's made in the past 00:53:30.480 --> 00:53:31.800 but here he is 00:53:31.800 --> 00:53:33.460 in his present situation 00:53:33.460 --> 00:53:35.260 and before 00:53:35.260 --> 00:53:38.840 we see that in verse 14 00:53:38.840 --> 00:53:40.079 to verse 16 00:53:40.079 --> 00:53:42.480 and what he's hearing about Jesus 00:53:42.480 --> 00:53:44.159 there in verse 14 00:53:44.159 --> 00:53:45.559 is that he has been doing 00:53:45.559 --> 00:53:47.279 amazing works 00:53:47.279 --> 00:53:49.099 King Herod heard of it 00:53:49.099 --> 00:53:50.319 for Jesus' name 00:53:50.319 --> 00:53:51.619 had become known 00:53:51.619 --> 00:53:52.980 some said 00:53:52.980 --> 00:53:54.019 John the Baptist 00:53:54.019 --> 00:53:55.319 has been raised from the dead 00:53:55.319 --> 00:53:57.739 and this is what strikes fear 00:53:57.739 --> 00:53:58.799 into him 00:53:58.799 --> 00:53:59.739 and the reaction 00:53:59.739 --> 00:54:00.759 to this news 00:54:00.759 --> 00:54:02.440 of Jesus being 00:54:02.440 --> 00:54:03.339 John the Baptist 00:54:03.339 --> 00:54:04.940 raised from the dead 00:54:04.940 --> 00:54:06.379 strikes fear 00:54:06.379 --> 00:54:07.619 into him 00:54:07.619 --> 00:54:09.659 his conscience 00:54:09.659 --> 00:54:11.219 is still affected 00:54:11.219 --> 00:54:12.399 even though there's 00:54:12.399 --> 00:54:13.500 some time past 00:54:13.500 --> 00:54:14.639 since John the Baptist 00:54:14.639 --> 00:54:15.659 was put to death 00:54:15.659 --> 00:54:17.759 it hasn't left his mind 00:54:17.759 --> 00:54:19.739 and this just brings 00:54:19.739 --> 00:54:20.619 that fear 00:54:20.619 --> 00:54:21.779 back to him 00:54:21.779 --> 00:54:22.559 he thinks he's going 00:54:22.559 --> 00:54:23.980 to come face to face 00:54:23.980 --> 00:54:25.379 with the one 00:54:25.379 --> 00:54:26.699 he had put to death 00:54:26.699 --> 00:54:27.119 the one 00:54:27.119 --> 00:54:28.279 he now thinks 00:54:28.279 --> 00:54:29.599 is raised from the dead 00:54:29.599 --> 00:54:31.500 and this is a time 00:54:31.500 --> 00:54:32.319 for reflection 00:54:32.319 --> 00:54:33.019 for him 00:54:33.019 --> 00:54:35.860 but it's a reminder 00:54:35.860 --> 00:54:36.940 to us too 00:54:36.940 --> 00:54:39.340 that we hear 00:54:39.340 --> 00:54:41.300 of one who is 00:54:41.300 --> 00:54:42.619 raised from the dead 00:54:42.619 --> 00:54:45.179 one who we will come 00:54:45.179 --> 00:54:47.559 face to face with 00:54:47.559 --> 00:54:49.659 one who we must 00:54:49.659 --> 00:54:50.360 appear 00:54:50.360 --> 00:54:51.519 before 00:54:51.519 --> 00:54:54.079 not John the Baptist 00:54:54.079 --> 00:54:55.179 raised from the dead 00:54:55.179 --> 00:54:58.139 but the Lord Jesus Christ 00:54:58.139 --> 00:55:01.139 the one who was put to death 00:55:01.139 --> 00:55:02.980 because of our sin 00:55:02.980 --> 00:55:04.579 but the one 00:55:04.579 --> 00:55:05.359 who we are reminded 00:55:05.359 --> 00:55:05.920 in scripture 00:55:05.920 --> 00:55:06.759 on the third day 00:55:06.759 --> 00:55:07.679 rose again 00:55:07.679 --> 00:55:09.119 who has ascended 00:55:09.119 --> 00:55:09.879 to the father 00:55:09.879 --> 00:55:11.579 who is coming back 00:55:11.579 --> 00:55:13.099 to take his people 00:55:13.099 --> 00:55:13.879 to be with him 00:55:13.879 --> 00:55:15.579 the one 00:55:15.579 --> 00:55:16.739 who we must 00:55:16.739 --> 00:55:17.539 all appear 00:55:17.539 --> 00:55:18.099 before 00:55:18.099 --> 00:55:19.559 in a sense 00:55:19.559 --> 00:55:20.819 of judgment 00:55:20.819 --> 00:55:22.679 Herod 00:55:22.679 --> 00:55:23.319 King Herod 00:55:23.319 --> 00:55:23.960 was afraid 00:55:23.960 --> 00:55:24.559 of meeting 00:55:24.559 --> 00:55:25.819 John the Baptist 00:55:25.819 --> 00:55:26.879 raised from the dead 00:55:26.879 --> 00:55:29.179 what's your thought 00:55:29.179 --> 00:55:29.719 of meeting 00:55:29.719 --> 00:55:31.819 with the Lord Jesus Christ 00:55:31.819 --> 00:55:32.859 raised from the dead 00:55:32.859 --> 00:55:34.899 does that put you 00:55:34.899 --> 00:55:35.439 fear 00:55:35.439 --> 00:55:36.859 into your heart 00:55:36.859 --> 00:55:38.939 or does it fill you 00:55:38.939 --> 00:55:39.739 with a sense 00:55:39.739 --> 00:55:40.980 of joy 00:55:40.980 --> 00:55:44.439 if you don't believe 00:55:44.439 --> 00:55:45.559 if you don't trust him 00:55:45.559 --> 00:55:47.179 it will be fear 00:55:47.179 --> 00:55:48.899 but if you believe 00:55:48.899 --> 00:55:49.779 with all your heart 00:55:49.779 --> 00:55:50.739 that he is Lord 00:55:50.739 --> 00:55:52.639 and God of all 00:55:52.639 --> 00:55:54.579 it will fill your heart 00:55:54.579 --> 00:55:55.119 with joy 00:55:55.119 --> 00:55:55.639 to know 00:55:55.639 --> 00:55:57.299 that you will see him 00:55:57.300 --> 00:55:59.280 C.S. Lewis 00:55:59.280 --> 00:55:59.900 in his book 00:55:59.900 --> 00:56:00.720 Mere Christianity 00:56:00.720 --> 00:56:01.860 says this 00:56:01.860 --> 00:56:03.860 when the author 00:56:03.860 --> 00:56:05.820 walks onto the stage 00:56:05.820 --> 00:56:07.180 the play 00:56:07.180 --> 00:56:08.180 is over 00:56:08.180 --> 00:56:10.300 God is going 00:56:10.300 --> 00:56:11.019 to invade 00:56:11.019 --> 00:56:11.680 all right 00:56:11.680 --> 00:56:13.740 but what is the good 00:56:13.740 --> 00:56:14.300 of saying 00:56:14.300 --> 00:56:15.100 you are on his side 00:56:15.100 --> 00:56:15.460 then 00:56:15.460 --> 00:56:16.940 when you see 00:56:16.940 --> 00:56:17.539 the whole 00:56:17.539 --> 00:56:18.680 natural universe 00:56:18.680 --> 00:56:19.620 melting away 00:56:19.620 --> 00:56:20.340 like a dream 00:56:20.340 --> 00:56:21.920 and something else 00:56:21.920 --> 00:56:23.160 comes crashing in 00:56:23.159 --> 00:56:25.279 this time 00:56:25.279 --> 00:56:26.679 it will be God 00:56:26.679 --> 00:56:28.000 without disguise 00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:30.339 something so overwhelming 00:56:30.339 --> 00:56:31.199 that will strike 00:56:31.199 --> 00:56:32.920 either irresistible love 00:56:32.920 --> 00:56:34.839 or irresistible horror 00:56:34.839 --> 00:56:36.099 into every creature 00:56:36.099 --> 00:56:38.279 it will be too late 00:56:38.279 --> 00:56:38.639 then 00:56:38.639 --> 00:56:40.500 to choose your side 00:56:40.500 --> 00:56:42.599 that will not be 00:56:42.599 --> 00:56:43.159 the time 00:56:43.159 --> 00:56:43.980 for choosing 00:56:43.980 --> 00:56:46.039 it will be the time 00:56:46.039 --> 00:56:47.420 when you discover 00:56:47.420 --> 00:56:48.239 which side 00:56:48.239 --> 00:56:48.879 we have 00:56:48.879 --> 00:56:50.279 we really have chosen 00:56:50.280 --> 00:56:52.019 whether we realized 00:56:52.019 --> 00:56:53.280 it before or not 00:56:53.280 --> 00:56:55.180 now 00:56:55.180 --> 00:56:55.980 he says 00:56:55.980 --> 00:56:56.820 today 00:56:56.820 --> 00:56:58.560 this moment 00:56:58.560 --> 00:57:00.500 is our chance 00:57:00.500 --> 00:57:02.019 to choose 00:57:02.019 --> 00:57:02.740 the right 00:57:02.740 --> 00:57:03.600 side 00:57:03.600 --> 00:57:06.220 we are presented 00:57:06.220 --> 00:57:07.840 with choices 00:57:07.840 --> 00:57:09.600 all the time 00:57:09.600 --> 00:57:11.740 and we are to 00:57:11.740 --> 00:57:12.600 choose 00:57:12.600 --> 00:57:13.700 wisely 00:57:13.700 --> 00:57:15.820 what does it mean 00:57:15.820 --> 00:57:17.320 to choose 00:57:17.320 --> 00:57:18.320 wisely 00:57:18.320 --> 00:57:20.539 well it was a message 00:57:20.539 --> 00:57:21.700 that struck fear 00:57:21.700 --> 00:57:23.180 into Herod 00:57:23.180 --> 00:57:25.280 that this Jesus 00:57:25.280 --> 00:57:26.160 had come 00:57:26.160 --> 00:57:27.360 and if you look at 00:57:27.360 --> 00:57:28.200 verse 12 00:57:28.200 --> 00:57:28.880 it says 00:57:28.880 --> 00:57:30.019 his disciples 00:57:30.019 --> 00:57:30.559 went out 00:57:30.559 --> 00:57:31.200 and proclaimed 00:57:31.200 --> 00:57:32.600 that people 00:57:32.600 --> 00:57:33.860 should repent 00:57:33.860 --> 00:57:37.100 this is what it means 00:57:37.100 --> 00:57:38.740 to choose wisely 00:57:38.740 --> 00:57:39.680 this is the opportunity 00:57:39.680 --> 00:57:41.120 that Herod himself 00:57:41.120 --> 00:57:41.460 had 00:57:41.460 --> 00:57:42.400 and passed by 00:57:42.400 --> 00:57:44.280 and it's your choice 00:57:44.280 --> 00:57:44.780 today 00:57:44.780 --> 00:57:46.440 no matter 00:57:46.440 --> 00:57:47.760 the choices 00:57:47.760 --> 00:57:48.280 you've made 00:57:48.280 --> 00:57:49.200 in the past 00:57:49.200 --> 00:57:50.139 and maybe 00:57:50.139 --> 00:57:50.980 we've all made 00:57:50.980 --> 00:57:52.619 many wrong choices 00:57:52.619 --> 00:57:53.619 and they've led us 00:57:53.619 --> 00:57:55.659 into many wrong places 00:57:55.659 --> 00:57:57.599 today 00:57:57.599 --> 00:57:59.320 we have the opportunity 00:57:59.320 --> 00:58:00.599 to choose wisely 00:58:00.599 --> 00:58:02.619 to choose Christ 00:58:02.619 --> 00:58:04.720 and to serve him 00:58:04.720 --> 00:58:06.480 and to follow him 00:58:06.480 --> 00:58:07.599 and to know 00:58:07.599 --> 00:58:08.900 that that choice 00:58:08.900 --> 00:58:10.840 is the greatest choice 00:58:10.840 --> 00:58:11.440 of all 00:58:11.440 --> 00:58:12.780 to know 00:58:12.780 --> 00:58:13.840 him 00:58:13.840 --> 00:58:15.559 who is our shepherd 00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:16.840 who is 00:58:16.840 --> 00:58:18.079 our Lord 00:58:18.079 --> 00:58:20.000 to say with Joshua 00:58:20.000 --> 00:58:21.980 but as for me 00:58:21.980 --> 00:58:22.880 and my house 00:58:22.880 --> 00:58:24.159 we 00:58:24.159 --> 00:58:25.460 will serve 00:58:25.460 --> 00:58:26.079 the Lord 00:58:26.079 --> 00:58:27.779 choose 00:58:27.779 --> 00:58:28.719 this day 00:58:28.719 --> 00:58:30.880 whom you will serve 00:58:30.880 --> 00:58:32.500 that is a choice 00:58:32.500 --> 00:58:33.400 before us 00:58:33.400 --> 00:58:34.340 the choice 00:58:34.340 --> 00:58:35.219 before Herod 00:58:35.219 --> 00:58:36.460 the choice 00:58:36.460 --> 00:58:37.460 we all face 00:58:37.460 --> 00:58:39.159 may we all 00:58:39.159 --> 00:58:39.920 choose 00:58:39.920 --> 00:58:40.679 wisely 00:58:40.679 --> 00:58:42.019 and follow 00:58:42.019 --> 00:58:43.079 Christ 00:58:43.079 --> 00:58:43.779 as Lord 00:58:43.780 --> 00:58:45.140 let us pray 00:58:45.140 --> 00:58:48.500 our Father 00:58:48.500 --> 00:58:49.100 in heaven 00:58:49.100 --> 00:58:49.760 your word 00:58:49.760 --> 00:58:50.980 reminds us 00:58:50.980 --> 00:58:51.620 of the need 00:58:51.620 --> 00:58:53.540 of the choices 00:58:53.540 --> 00:58:54.140 that we make 00:58:54.140 --> 00:58:54.660 in life 00:58:54.660 --> 00:58:56.019 our greatest need 00:58:56.019 --> 00:58:56.560 of all 00:58:56.560 --> 00:58:57.440 is to know 00:58:57.440 --> 00:58:57.960 Christ 00:58:57.960 --> 00:58:58.660 as Lord 00:58:58.660 --> 00:58:59.920 and we pray 00:58:59.920 --> 00:59:00.700 that your word 00:59:00.700 --> 00:59:01.440 and your spirit 00:59:01.440 --> 00:59:02.800 will guide us 00:59:02.800 --> 00:59:03.480 in making that 00:59:03.480 --> 00:59:04.340 wise choice 00:59:04.340 --> 00:59:05.019 this day 00:59:05.019 --> 00:59:06.220 for we know 00:59:06.220 --> 00:59:07.260 that the time 00:59:07.260 --> 00:59:08.060 is short 00:59:08.060 --> 00:59:09.400 and that now 00:59:09.400 --> 00:59:10.160 even today 00:59:10.160 --> 00:59:11.420 is the time 00:59:11.420 --> 00:59:12.099 to choose 00:59:12.099 --> 00:59:13.059 the right side 00:59:13.059 --> 00:59:14.380 and so Lord 00:59:14.380 --> 00:59:14.940 we help 00:59:14.940 --> 00:59:15.480 we pray 00:59:15.480 --> 00:59:16.220 for your help 00:59:16.220 --> 00:59:17.360 your guidance 00:59:17.360 --> 00:59:18.260 your instruction 00:59:18.260 --> 00:59:19.119 to take away 00:59:19.119 --> 00:59:20.380 the often 00:59:20.380 --> 00:59:21.659 pressures we feel 00:59:21.659 --> 00:59:22.740 and to know 00:59:22.740 --> 00:59:23.760 the love of Christ 00:59:23.760 --> 00:59:24.940 that's greater than all 00:59:24.940 --> 00:59:26.619 so may you bless us 00:59:26.619 --> 00:59:27.559 and help us 00:59:27.559 --> 00:59:28.360 to that end 00:59:28.360 --> 00:59:29.659 as we ask it all 00:59:29.659 --> 00:59:30.740 in his precious name 00:59:30.740 --> 00:59:31.700 Amen 00:59:31.699 --> 00:59:39.859 we're going to conclude 00:59:39.859 --> 00:59:40.399 by singing 00:59:40.399 --> 00:59:41.879 to God's praise 00:59:41.879 --> 00:59:43.239 in Psalm 85 00:59:43.239 --> 00:59:44.139 sorry 00:59:44.139 --> 00:59:44.939 Psalm 65 00:59:44.939 --> 00:59:46.859 in the Sing 00:59:46.859 --> 00:59:47.779 Psalms version 00:59:47.779 --> 00:59:50.159 page 82 00:59:50.159 --> 00:59:51.139 of the Psalm books 00:59:51.139 --> 00:59:55.219 Psalm 65 00:59:55.219 --> 00:59:56.399 we're going to sing 00:59:56.399 --> 00:59:57.179 verses 1 00:59:57.179 --> 00:59:58.239 to verse 5 00:59:58.239 --> 01:00:01.299 in Zion praise 01:00:01.299 --> 01:00:02.179 awaits you Lord 01:00:02.179 --> 01:00:03.159 to you our vows 01:00:03.159 --> 01:00:03.779 will pay 01:00:03.779 --> 01:00:05.239 to you all people 01:00:05.239 --> 01:00:06.079 will come near 01:00:06.079 --> 01:00:07.019 you hear us 01:00:07.019 --> 01:00:08.359 when we pray 01:00:08.359 --> 01:00:09.019 we'll sing from 01:00:09.019 --> 01:00:10.399 verse 1 to 5 01:00:10.399 --> 01:00:11.639 to God's praise 01:00:11.639 --> 01:00:12.379 and we stand 01:00:12.379 --> 01:00:13.000 to sing 01:00:13.000 --> 01:00:20.119 in Zion praise 01:00:20.119 --> 01:00:23.699 awaits you Lord 01:00:23.699 --> 01:00:28.019 to you our vows 01:00:28.019 --> 01:00:30.119 will pay 01:00:30.119 --> 01:00:34.859 to you all people 01:00:34.859 --> 01:00:38.359 will come near 01:00:38.359 --> 01:00:41.599 you hear us 01:00:41.599 --> 01:00:44.679 when we pray 01:00:44.679 --> 01:00:49.539 when we were 01:00:49.539 --> 01:00:51.679 overwhelmed 01:00:51.679 --> 01:00:54.239 by sins 01:00:54.239 --> 01:00:56.679 and guilt 01:00:56.679 --> 01:00:59.539 upon us 01:00:59.539 --> 01:01:00.639 lay 01:01:00.639 --> 01:01:04.619 you pardoned 01:01:04.619 --> 01:01:08.679 all our trespasses 01:01:08.679 --> 01:01:11.799 and washed 01:01:11.800 --> 01:01:13.760 our guilt 01:01:13.760 --> 01:01:14.800 away 01:01:14.800 --> 01:01:19.120 how blessed 01:01:19.120 --> 01:01:21.180 are those 01:01:21.180 --> 01:01:22.800 you choose 01:01:23.320 --> 01:01:24.980 and bring 01:01:24.980 --> 01:01:26.539 within 01:01:26.539 --> 01:01:28.120 your 01:01:28.120 --> 01:01:28.800 courts 01:01:29.440 --> 01:01:30.800 of grace 01:01:31.720 --> 01:01:32.800 we're 01:01:33.320 --> 01:01:33.800 filled 01:01:34.320 --> 01:01:34.800 with 01:01:35.320 --> 01:01:36.519 blessings 01:01:36.519 --> 01:01:38.800 in your 01:01:38.800 --> 01:01:40.060 house 01:01:40.059 --> 01:01:42.059 in your 01:01:42.059 --> 01:01:44.059 most holy 01:01:44.779 --> 01:01:46.059 place 01:01:47.380 --> 01:01:48.059 with 01:01:49.179 --> 01:01:50.059 awesome 01:01:50.059 --> 01:01:51.059 deeds 01:01:51.059 --> 01:01:54.059 of righteousness 01:01:54.059 --> 01:01:56.059 you 01:01:57.059 --> 01:01:58.059 answered 01:01:58.579 --> 01:01:59.059 us 01:01:59.059 --> 01:02:02.059 O God 01:02:02.699 --> 01:02:04.059 our 01:02:04.059 --> 01:02:05.059 Savior 01:02:05.059 --> 01:02:06.059 full 01:02:06.059 --> 01:02:08.059 of 01:02:08.059 --> 01:02:09.059 far 01:02:09.059 --> 01:02:10.059 the 01:02:10.059 --> 01:02:11.059 sea 01:02:11.059 --> 01:02:12.059 and 01:02:12.699 --> 01:02:13.059 all 01:02:13.059 --> 01:02:14.059 the 01:02:14.059 --> 01:02:15.059 earth 01:02:15.779 --> 01:02:17.059 abroad 01:02:17.059 --> 01:02:20.820 after the 01:02:20.820 --> 01:02:21.259 benediction 01:02:21.259 --> 01:02:22.019 I'll go to the 01:02:22.019 --> 01:02:22.639 door to my 01:02:22.639 --> 01:02:23.380 left here 01:02:23.380 --> 01:02:24.079 we'll close with 01:02:24.079 --> 01:02:24.699 the benediction 01:02:24.699 --> 01:02:26.940 now may grace 01:02:26.940 --> 01:02:28.239 mercy and peace 01:02:28.239 --> 01:02:28.960 from God 01:02:28.960 --> 01:02:29.699 Father 01:02:29.699 --> 01:02:30.219 Son 01:02:30.219 --> 01:02:30.779 and Holy 01:02:30.779 --> 01:02:31.299 Spirit 01:02:31.299 --> 01:02:32.759 rest upon 01:02:32.759 --> 01:02:33.400 and abide 01:02:33.400 --> 01:02:34.380 with us all 01:02:34.380 --> 01:02:34.840 now and 01:02:34.840 --> 01:02:36.059 forevermore 01:02:36.059 --> 01:02:36.579 Amen 01:02:36.579 --> 01:02:38.579 thank you 01:03:06.579 --> 01:03:08.579 thank you