WEBVTT

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 We're going to begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise and singing in Psalm 95.

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!

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 Praise him and rejoice.

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 We're going to sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.

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 We stand to sing.

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 O come, let us joyfully sing to the Lord, to the rock of salvation.

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 Let us raise our voice.

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 Let us come before him, expressing our thanks.

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 Let us with love singing, praise him and rejoice.

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 The Lord is the great God, King over all gods.

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 The earth's deepest places he holds in his hand.

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 The heights of the mountains belong to the Lord.

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 The oceans are his hand, he formed the dry land.

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 Come, let us bow humbly and worship the Lord.

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 Let us kneel before him, our maker in prayer.

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 For we are his people, and he is our God.

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 He shepherds and feeds us in his loving care.

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 Let us pray, if you pray, if you hear, if you hear, and attend to his voice,

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 don't harden your hearts, as you did on the way.

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 In heaven, in a stesser, you quarreled with me.

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 You tested my patience at Masa that day.

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 Your fathers provoked me and tested me there.

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 Although they had witnessed the works I had done,

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 With that generation for forty long years,

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 My deep indignation continued to burn.

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 I said there are people whose hearts go astray,

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 They do not acknowledge that my ways are best,

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 And so in my anger I stated alone,

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 I swear that they never shall enter my rest.

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 Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.

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 Lord our gracious God as we come in your name this evening,

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 We are thankful for the very privilege that it is ours to gather and worship you,

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 To come and lift our voices joyfully to you in song,

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 Acknowledging you as our rock, the rock of our salvation,

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 And thankful Lord for all that you have done and are doing for us,

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 And all that we look ahead to as well in anticipation that you will fulfill for us as well.

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 We are thankful that you are the God who has given so many promises to us.

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 We are thankful for the way that even this psalm reminds us of your goodness to your people,

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 That you are one who leads them, who helps them along the way,

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 Who helps your people through all different kinds of situations.

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 We have sung of the way that you have led your people in the past,

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 And thankful for the promise that you lead your people to this very day,

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 And you lead your people going forward as well.

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 And even in days when we are dismayed in the direction of our land,

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 When we are dismayed by all that goes on around us in so many ways,

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 We are thankful that we come to you as the living God,

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 We come to you as the one who formed the deepest of places,

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 And who holds all things in his hands.

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 And we thank you that tonight, O Lord, in our weakness,

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 We come to you as the one who is the strength to your people.

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 You are the one who hears our prayers.

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 You are the one who, even in a world that mocks the very fact,

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 That we call to you as God and Lord,

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 That you remind us in your word,

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 And you remind us in so much of your providence towards us,

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 That you will not be a God who is mocked,

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 But that you indeed will hear and help according to your will.

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 And so we come in that dependence upon you and you this night,

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 As we prepare our hearts,

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 As we come to worship you this evening,

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 And as we look forward, God willing, in anticipation,

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 To sitting at the Lord's table tomorrow.

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 As we come, Lord, to remember,

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 Above all what has been done for us through your Son, Jesus Christ,

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 The one who was himself mocked,

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 The one who was rejected and despised by many,

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 The one who came to his own and his own did not receive him,

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 The one who, as we will read of this evening,

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 Was mocked among so many different people.

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 And yet, O Lord, in the midst of all that was cried out against him,

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 He cried out with a greater voice,

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 Father, forgive them, for they know not what we do.

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 And we thank you, Lord, that this evening as we come,

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 That you are still a God who is merciful and gracious.

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 And we do pray, Lord, that you will be merciful towards us,

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 That in our preparation and in our looking to you at this time,

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 That you will help us to come before you anew,

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 Asking for forgiveness for all our sins,

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 Asking that you will make us whole again before you,

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 That you will cleanse us in the precious blood of Christ,

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 And that we might know the power of your forgiveness,

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 And that we might know the mercy and grace that you show to your people,

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 Again and again.

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 We pray that for ourselves here,

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 As we pray it for all around us, Lord,

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 That you would have mercy upon our land at this time.

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 And we do thank you for your word that is an instruction to us.

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 It reminds us of the great joy in worshipping you,

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 But it reminds us too of the warnings of rejecting you.

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 With that great warning that we have sung of in this psalm,

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 That you swore that they would never enter your rest.

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 And that is what you say to those who will reject you,

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 Those who will turn away from you,

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 That there will be no peace.

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 But we thank you that for those who do confess your name,

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 For those who put their trust in you,

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 That you have prepared a place of peace,

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 That you have prepared a place for your people.

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 And we do pray, Lord, that you will lead us and guide us in that way.

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 To show us the paths everlasting,

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 The paths of life divine,

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 Where there is joy at your right hand.

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 And so, Lord, help us to praise you this evening.

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 Help us to praise you in song,

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 To praise you in your word,

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 To praise you in our hearts, O Lord,

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 That we would give thanks for all your goodness to us.

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 And help us, Lord, just to look to Jesus,

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 The author, the perfecter of our faith.

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 We thank you for your church, for your people,

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 For the great encouragement that there is as you build your church.

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 And we do pray that your church will be built here in our midst,

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 That you will encourage us together,

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 That you will strengthen us in these days,

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 That you will help us to be a people who worship you in spirit and in truth,

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 And who serve you with our whole hearts,

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 Who honour you with all that we are and all that we have.

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 And that you would add to your number here, Lord, those being saved.

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 As we hear the great encouragements in your word of the church in the days of the book of Acts,

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 When they were together under your name,

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 They were together in heart and unity and worship.

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 And that you are pleased to bless by adding to their number those who are being saved.

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 That is our prayer for us to gather here even this evening,

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 That those who have maybe not confessed or professed your name,

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 That would be added to that number,

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 Who would profess Christ as Lord, Lord of all.

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 And so we pray, Lord, that together here this evening,

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 You would hear all our prayers collectively.

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 And remember your church far and wide as well.

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 As a church, your people pray for so many things going on in our world,

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 As we especially think of our own nation in these last days,

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 How we have seen the days that we live in the darkness of them.

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 As we think of the Parliament's decision yesterday in supporting of assisted suicide,

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 Lord, our hearts break in the midst of it.

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 That we have come to such a point in our history,

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 When we think that we can take control of matters of life and death,

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 And not acknowledge that these belong to you.

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 We do pray, Lord, that your will would still be that our nation would turn from this.

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 That we would see a rejection of it, Lord.

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 That we would see a turning against it.

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 For we are so fearful of what it entails if it goes ahead to many in our land, Lord.

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 When life is seen as in our own hands instead of in yours.

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 Lord, we pray, have mercy upon us.

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 We pray too for the nations of the world around us,

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 Where we see so much turmoil and chaos.

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 Not just in our own land, but far and wide.

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 Our world, as it were, is crumbling around us in so many ways.

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 The security and foundation of your word is lost.

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 When we build our own kingdoms and we build our own towers,

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 We know, Lord, that they will only be torn down.

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 And so we pray, Lord, that your kingdom will come in power.

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 That the darkness that we see around us will be overcome

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 By the wonder of your light, the light of the gospel.

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 That you would come in a day of your power.

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 Draw us to yourself again and revive us in these days.

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 So, Lord, we pray that you will hear your people.

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 That you would draw near to us and help us in all of these things.

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 Remember our loved ones in our community here in our church.

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 Remember those who are unwell, whether that's at home or in hospital.

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 We do commit each other into your hands, O Lord,

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 That you will surround us by your grace and by your mercy.

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 Thankful for you as our shepherd, the Lord who is near.

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 The one who helps us through all the different experiences in life.

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 Whether it's joy or sorrow.

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 Whether it's times of building up or tearing down.

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 Whether it's time of laughter or tears.

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 We thank you that you are the one who gives us all experiences.

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 And yet the one who is with us in them.

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 So, Lord, bless us now. Continue with us.

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 As we sing your praise and as we prepare our hearts.

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 As we open up your word.

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 That your word would minister to all our needs.

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 And that you would come into our midst, O Lord.

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 And do us good as we ask all things for the forgiveness of our sins.

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 In Jesus' name. Amen.

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 We'll again sing to God's praise this time in the Scottish Psalter in Psalm 19.

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 Page 223.

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 Psalm 19, page 223.

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 We'll sing from the beginning of the Psalm down to verse 8.

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 The heavens God's glory do declare.

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 The skies his hands works preach.

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 Day utter speech.

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 Today and night.

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 Tonight doth knowledge teach.

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 There is no speech nor tongue to which their voice doth not extend.

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 Their line is gone through all the earth.

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 Their words to the world's end.

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 We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 8.

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 To God's praise.

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 Amen.

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 The heavens God's glory do declare.

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 The skies his hand works preach.

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 Day utter speech.

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 Today and night.

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 Today and night.

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 Tonight doth knowledge teach.

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 Today and night.

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 Tonight doth knowledge teach.

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 There is no speech nor tongue to which their voice doth not extend.

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 Their line is gone through all the earth.

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 Their words to the world's end.

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 And then he said the sun attained.

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 Orth voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy

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 to end again.

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 And there is nothing from this heat

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 that hidden doth remain.

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 God's law is perfect and converts

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 the soul in sin that lies.

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 God's testimony is most sure

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 and makes the simple wise.

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 The statutes of the Lord are right

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 and to rejoice the heart.

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 The Lord's call and is pure and a

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 light to the eyes in light.

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 We can turn together to read God's word now in the Gospel of Luke

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 in chapter 23.

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 Luke chapter 23.

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 Luke chapter 23.

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 We read from the beginning.

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 We're going to read down to verse 25.

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 Tonight and God willing tomorrow we're going to be looking at both this both

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 chapters here chapter 23 and into chapter 24.

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 This evening we're going to be looking at the voices that we see prevailing as it's described here the voice of the crowd and the voice of

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 Pilate in the midst of it but above all to hear the voice of the Lord.

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 So we're going to read from verse 1 chapter 23 down to verse 25.

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 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him, that's Jesus, before Pilate.

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 And they began to accuse him saying,

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 We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

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 And Pilate asked him,

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 Are you the king of the Jews?

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 And he answered him,

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 You have said so.

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 Then Pilate said to the chief priests in the crowds,

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 I find no guilt in this man.

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 But they were urgent saying,

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 He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea from Galilee, even to this place.

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 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.

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 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction,

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 he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

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 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him,

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 because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.

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 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.

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 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.

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 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him.

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 Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.

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 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day,

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 for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

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 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people and said to them,

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 You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people.

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 And after examining him before you,

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 Behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.

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 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us.

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 Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.

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 I will therefore punish and release him.

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 But they all cried out together,

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 Away with this man and release to us Barabbas,

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 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection,

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 started in the city and for murder.

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 Pilate addressed them once more,

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 deciding to release Jesus.

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 But they kept shouting,

00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:24.480
 Crucify! Crucify him!

00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:26.480
 A third time he said to them,

00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:30.480
 Why? What evil has he done?

00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.480
 I have found in him no guilt deserving death.

00:20:33.480 --> 00:20:36.480
 I will therefore punish and release him.

00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.480
 But they were urgent,

00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:42.480
 demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified,

00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:45.480
 and their voices prevailed.

00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:49.480
 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:53.480
 He released the man who had been thrown into prison

00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:55.480
 for insurrection and murder,

00:20:55.480 --> 00:20:57.480
 for whom they asked.

00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:01.480
 But he delivered Jesus over to their will."

00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:02.480
 And so on.

00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:06.480
 And may God add his blessing to that reading of his word.

00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.480
 Before we turn back to look at this passage,

00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:13.480
 we'll again sing to God's praise this time in Psalm 49.

00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.480
 In the Sing Psalms version,

00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:19.480
 Psalm 49, page 64 of the psalm book.

00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:24.480
 We're going to sing from verse 1 down to verse 10.

00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:29.480
 Psalm 49 at verse 1.

00:21:29.480 --> 00:21:31.480
 Listen to me, all you people,

00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:33.480
 all who are in the whole world dwell,

00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:36.480
 low and high, both rich and needy,

00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:39.480
 hear the message I will tell.

00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:42.480
 And then the psalmist goes on to describe

00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:45.480
 the way that the cost of redeeming a life.

00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:49.480
 There is no one who is able to redeem a soul from death.

00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:53.480
 None can pay to God the ransom to prolong another's breath.

00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:56.480
 To redeem a life is costly.

00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.480
 None sufficient price can pay

00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:04.480
 so that one should live immortal, free forever from decay.

00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:08.480
 A reminder to us here of the wonder of our Redeemer,

00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:10.480
 who is Christ Jesus,

00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:13.480
 and the one who paid the price for us.

00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:17.480
 So we're going to sing from verse 1 to 10 to God's praise.

00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:18.480
 Psalm 49, verse 1.

00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.480
 Psalm 49, verse 1.

00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:20.480
 Psalm 49, verse 1.

00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.480
 Psalm 49, verse 1.

00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:27.480
 Listen to me, all you people,

00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:34.480
 saw you in the whole world dwell,

00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:41.480
 Though unto my hope rich and needy,

00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:48.480
 hear the message I will tell.

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:55.480
 I will speak with understanding,

00:22:55.480 --> 00:23:02.480
 listen from the heart of grief.

00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:09.480
 I will listen to a problem,

00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:17.480
 Secrets with the heart of grief.

00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:25.480
 Why should I fear days on evil,

00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:32.480
 when the wicked hand be in?

00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:39.480
 Those who boast of their possessions,

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:45.480
 by their trust in wealth they sin.

00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:59.480
 There is no one who is able to redeem a soul from death.

00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:06.480
 None can bid to God the ransom,

00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:13.480
 To prove off another's bread.

00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:21.480
 To redeem a life is costly,

00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:28.480
 than sufficient Christ can pay.

00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:34.480
 So that one should live immortal,

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:40.480
 free forever from decay.

00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:47.480
 For we all can see life ending,

00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:55.480
 Wise and foolish all will die.

00:24:55.480 --> 00:25:02.480
 They must give their wealth to others,

00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:09.480
 None can death's demand defied.

00:25:09.480 --> 00:25:16.480
 We can turn back to our reading in Luke chapter 23.

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:21.480
 We read again at verse 22.

00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:28.480
 A third time he, this Pilate speaking, said to them,

00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:30.480
 Why? What evil has he done?

00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:34.480
 I have found in him no guilt deserving death.

00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:37.480
 I will therefore punish and release him.

00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:40.480
 But they were urgent,

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:44.480
 Demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified.

00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:47.480
 And their voices prevailed.

00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:50.480
 Their voices prevailed.

00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:53.480
 Prevailed there means victorious.

00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:56.480
 As if they're saying their voices were victorious

00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:00.480
 in this situation that Jesus would be crucified.

00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:06.480
 But was it these voices that prevailed in this setting?

00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:11.480
 If you had Jesus standing in front of you,

00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:15.480
 what would you want to ask of him?

00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:17.480
 What would be the burning question in your heart

00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:20.480
 that you would want to ask of him?

00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:25.480
 On Thursday evening, I was invited to the explorers group,

00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:27.480
 the older group of the explorers.

00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:31.480
 And they had been preparing questions to ask of me

00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:33.480
 over the last number of weeks.

00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:38.480
 They'd been studying through the early books of the Bible in Genesis

00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:40.480
 and a few books after that.

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.480
 And so a lot of the questions were based on what they'd been looking at there.

00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:46.480
 And there were some great questions that they'd come up with.

00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:48.480
 Challenging questions.

00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:51.480
 Questions that aren't always easy to answer.

00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:52.480
 Questions like,

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:54.480
 Why did sin come into the world?

00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:55.480
 Why did God make the world?

00:26:55.480 --> 00:26:59.480
 Why did God make the world and the people in the world?

00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:02.480
 Why did God make the Bible?

00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:05.480
 Or where is the Garden of Eden?

00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:08.480
 There's a lot of questions about the Garden of Eden.

00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:11.480
 It's great to ask questions in that way

00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:15.480
 because it makes us think, it makes us look into the Word of God

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:20.480
 and search into it and try and find answers to these questions.

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:25.480
 And we may all have questions that we would love to bring to others.

00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:29.480
 But imagine having the Lord Jesus in front of you

00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:32.480
 and being able to ask a question of Him.

00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:36.480
 Well, as you read through this section in Luke 23,

00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:42.480
 what you find is that Jesus is here appearing before many different people.

00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:46.480
 And one of them is Pilate, who we read of here.

00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:49.480
 Pilate was a Roman governor.

00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:52.480
 He had a lot of authority, he had a lot of power.

00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:57.480
 And that's why Jesus has been brought to him by the scribes and the Pharisees.

00:27:57.480 --> 00:28:00.480
 And as he is brought to him,

00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:06.480
 he has this question that he asks of him in verse 3 of this chapter.

00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:11.480
 Is this the most burning question that you would want to ask of Jesus?

00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:14.480
 Well, it was for Pilate in this situation.

00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:18.480
 He asks of Jesus this question in verse 3.

00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:21.480
 Are you the King of the Jews?

00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:26.480
 Are you the King of the Jews?

00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:30.480
 And what this question is really asking is,

00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:32.480
 who are you?

00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:34.480
 Who are you, Jesus?

00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:37.480
 How should we see you?

00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.480
 And as you read through the previous chapter as well,

00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:44.480
 chapter 22 into chapter 23,

00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:48.480
 what you are finding is Jesus before many different people.

00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:51.480
 And he's been asked many different questions

00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:54.480
 and they've come into their own opinions about them.

00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:58.480
 There are many different voices speaking in this situation.

00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:01.480
 But the question behind them all is really this.

00:29:01.480 --> 00:29:04.480
 Jesus, who are you?

00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:07.480
 How do we see you?

00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:11.480
 And in our own understanding of who Jesus is,

00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:16.480
 that's what determines our faith, where our hope lies.

00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:21.480
 Who is Jesus to you this evening?

00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:26.480
 That determines how you prepare yourself this evening.

00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:31.480
 And that determines how you come, God willing, into this place tomorrow.

00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:34.480
 Whether you come to sit at the Lord's table

00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:39.480
 or whether you may sit behind the Lord's table and look on.

00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:43.480
 Is he your king?

00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:46.480
 Is he your Lord?

00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:51.480
 Or do you look to another to rule over you?

00:29:51.480 --> 00:29:55.480
 So many of the people here that we're reading of in this section,

00:29:55.480 --> 00:30:00.480
 they did not want Jesus ruling over them.

00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:04.480
 And Pilate is here in the midst of it with this question,

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:09.480
 Are you the king of the Jews?

00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:12.480
 And because Pilate asks this question,

00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:17.480
 because he sees Jesus as a threat to his authority.

00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:20.480
 In the same way as the scribes and the Pharisees

00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:26.480
 in the previous chapter in verse 67 of chapter 22,

00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:29.480
 If you are the Christ, tell us.

00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:34.480
 But he said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe.

00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:40.480
 They saw Jesus as a threat, a threat to their authority.

00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:48.480
 The response of the crowd here in verse 16 of chapter 23,

00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:54.480
 again is showing just how much they demanded that Jesus be crucified.

00:30:54.480 --> 00:30:57.480
 In verse 18, sorry they said,

00:30:57.480 --> 00:30:59.480
 But they cried out all the more,

00:30:59.480 --> 00:31:04.480
 Away with this man and release to us Barabbas,

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:08.480
 a threat to them and to their way of life.

00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:11.480
 So who is Jesus to you tonight?

00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:14.480
 Do you see him as a threat to your life?

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:20.480
 Or do you see him as the king and Lord of your life?

00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:24.480
 In the tithes of Jesus, as we read here,

00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:28.480
 crowds gathering to protest was a common theme.

00:31:28.480 --> 00:31:30.480
 You see it so often in Jesus' experience

00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:32.480
 that the more he was teaching,

00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:34.480
 the more miraculous signs that he was doing,

00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:37.480
 the more opposition there was rising against him.

00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:39.480
 And again and again,

00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:43.480
 these crowds were crying out against him in different ways.

00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:45.480
 But this is where it comes to its culmination.

00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:49.480
 This is where it all comes to a head.

00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:52.480
 And they are seeing here the threat of their way of life,

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:55.480
 the threat towards authority in their situation.

00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:58.480
 And their protest is to silence this

00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:02.480
 and to get him out of their lives.

00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:06.480
 And sadly, today we live in similar days as well.

00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:10.480
 The people here wanted things going their own way.

00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:13.480
 And so we see it in our own society today.

00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:16.480
 We see many protests that rage against society,

00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:20.480
 that rage against so many different things that are going on.

00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:22.480
 But ultimately, in so many of them,

00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:27.480
 it is a rage against God and against his law

00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:32.480
 and who we will have as authority over us.

00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:36.480
 And Jesus has warned of this already in the Gospel of Luke.

00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:39.480
 In chapter 19, in the beginning of that chapter,

00:32:39.480 --> 00:32:41.480
 he speaks a parable.

00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:43.480
 And that parable, ultimately behind it is,

00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:45.480
 the people cry out in verse 14,

00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:49.480
 we do not want this man to reign over us.

00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:53.480
 And that's what we see coming here as well,

00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:55.480
 as we come to the trial of Jesus,

00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:58.480
 as he appears before the council,

00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:01.480
 before Pilate, before Herod, before the crowd.

00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:06.480
 Who is it that is going to reign over us?

00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:09.480
 There are many voices clamouring for our attention,

00:33:09.480 --> 00:33:11.480
 demanding a response.

00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:15.480
 But the most important question is for us,

00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:18.480
 is Jesus our King?

00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:21.480
 Is he our Lord?

00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:26.480
 And so which voice prevails in all of this?

00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:28.480
 We are going to look at three voices.

00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:32.480
 Three voices that we see coming through here so clearly.

00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:35.480
 And ask which one prevails for us.

00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:38.480
 The first is the voice of Pilate.

00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:41.480
 The second is the voice of the crowd.

00:33:41.480 --> 00:33:45.480
 And then the third one is the voice of the Lord.

00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:50.480
 So the first thing we see here is the voice of Pilate.

00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:54.480
 Jesus has been seen as a threat for some time.

00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:57.480
 His signs and his miracles that he was performing

00:33:57.480 --> 00:33:59.480
 and his great teaching,

00:33:59.480 --> 00:34:02.480
 it was met with a mixed reaction.

00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:05.480
 So I marveled at what he was doing.

00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:08.480
 But as we said, others saw it as a threat

00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:11.480
 to the authority and power that the people had.

00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:15.480
 And you would expect it maybe as you were seeing Jesus

00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:18.480
 performing so many different miracles,

00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:23.480
 teaching with his authority and teaching with his amazing teaching

00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:28.480
 that he had of life, of eternity, of sin, of repentance,

00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:30.480
 of all of these things.

00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:33.480
 That people would just come and fall before him

00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:36.480
 and see him for who he is as Lord.

00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:38.480
 But it wasn't so.

00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:41.480
 Yes, there were some who acknowledged him in that way,

00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:45.480
 but we see there were others who plotted against him.

00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:48.480
 And as you look through the life of Jesus,

00:34:48.480 --> 00:34:50.480
 you find again and again these people

00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:53.480
 were just looking for a way to get at Jesus.

00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:57.480
 And perhaps as you go to the Gospel of John,

00:34:57.480 --> 00:35:01.480
 you see a time when Jesus performed a miracle there

00:35:01.480 --> 00:35:05.480
 with Lazarus in John chapter 11.

00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:07.480
 And he said,

00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:08.480
 Lazarus had died.

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:11.480
 And he came to Mary and Martha.

00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:13.480
 And he wept when he saw their grief.

00:35:13.480 --> 00:35:16.480
 But then he said,

00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:19.480
 Lazarus, come out.

00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:24.480
 And Lazarus came out of the grave.

00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:27.480
 And you would expect, surely, that people would see

00:35:27.480 --> 00:35:31.480
 that here is one who has power and authority over all things,

00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:33.480
 even death.

00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:34.480
 He had told them,

00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:37.480
 I am the resurrection and the life.

00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:39.480
 And many marveled.

00:35:39.480 --> 00:35:44.480
 But it says in verse 53 of John 11,

00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:46.480
 From that day on,

00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:49.480
 they made plans to put him to death,

00:35:49.480 --> 00:35:51.480
 to put Jesus to death.

00:35:51.480 --> 00:35:54.480
 Despite all that he was doing in their midst,

00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:58.480
 they plotted, they planned to put Jesus to death.

00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:02.480
 And this is a situation that we now meet with Pilate.

00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:07.480
 Their plan, their plot is now coming to fruition.

00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:09.480
 Everything that they were looking towards now,

00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:12.480
 it's coming to the point now where they've got him.

00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:17.480
 They just need Pilate's help in the midst of it all.

00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:20.480
 The scribes and the Pharisees, the Jewish council,

00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:23.480
 they didn't have the power to put anyone to death.

00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:25.480
 And so they accused Jesus,

00:36:25.480 --> 00:36:28.480
 but they had to bring him to Pilate.

00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:34.480
 And so that's what we see between the end of chapter 22 and chapter 23.

00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:37.480
 The council, the scribes of Pharisees,

00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:39.480
 they said, bring him to Pilate.

00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:43.480
 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:46.480
 They were bringing him accused before Pilate

00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:53.480
 and giving Pilate now all the evidence that this man should be put to death.

00:36:53.480 --> 00:37:00.480
 And what we see here is the voice of Pilate in the midst of all of this.

00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:03.480
 The voice of Pilate.

00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:04.480
 And what does it say?

00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:06.480
 Well, we see the voice of Pilate,

00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:09.480
 probably three different things we could highlight.

00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:13.480
 We see doubt, we see confusion, and we see fear.

00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:17.480
 We see all of these things in Pilate.

00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:21.480
 And so often they are things that we see in ourselves as well.

00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:24.480
 It could be the experience we've had.

00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:27.480
 It could be the experience that we're going through.

00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:30.480
 Doubt is the first thing that we see.

00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:34.480
 Because Pilate has this question in verse 3,

00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:37.480
 Are you the king of the Jews?

00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:39.480
 He's looking for an answer.

00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:41.480
 In the midst of his doubts,

00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:43.480
 he's looking for an answer.

00:37:43.480 --> 00:37:45.480
 He's looking for something.

00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:48.480
 And it's just like ourselves so often.

00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:51.480
 We're asking questions of the Lord,

00:37:51.480 --> 00:37:53.480
 because we have our doubts.

00:37:53.480 --> 00:37:56.480
 Lord, show me something.

00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:58.480
 Give me a verse.

00:37:58.480 --> 00:37:59.480
 Give me a sign,

00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:02.480
 so that I can be sure of who you are.

00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:06.480
 So that I can be certain and believe in you.

00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:09.480
 And yet, time and time again,

00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:13.480
 in Scripture we see people coming to ask for a sign.

00:38:13.480 --> 00:38:16.480
 You see it with Herod here in verse 8.

00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:19.480
 He had longed to meet Jesus.

00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:21.480
 It says in the middle of verse 8,

00:38:21.480 --> 00:38:25.480
 he was hoping to see some sign done by him.

00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:27.480
 He was hoping to see something,

00:38:27.480 --> 00:38:30.480
 some miracle, some sign done by him.

00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:32.480
 But instead, he mocked him.

00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:34.480
 So even when signs were done,

00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:36.480
 the people mocked.

00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:40.480
 And it's what we see so often in Scripture.

00:38:40.480 --> 00:38:43.480
 Lord, just show us a sign.

00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:45.480
 But Jesus has an answer to them.

00:38:45.480 --> 00:38:49.480
 He said on one occasion in Matthew 12,

00:38:49.480 --> 00:38:52.480
 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign,

00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:57.480
 but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

00:38:57.480 --> 00:39:00.480
 Jonah was in the belly of the great fish.

00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:01.480
 And he said,

00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:06.480
 So will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:12.480
 Do you need more?

00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:15.480
 Do you have doubts and do you need more?

00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:20.480
 Or has not the word of God told you all that you need to know?

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:24.480
 Are you the king of the Jews?

00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:31.480
 The second thing we see of Pilate here is confusion.

00:39:31.480 --> 00:39:35.480
 And again, we can have our own times of confusion.

00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:39.480
 There's so much put before us, even in our day and age now,

00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:41.480
 that we think, well, what do we believe?

00:39:41.480 --> 00:39:44.480
 And Pilate himself was confused.

00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:46.480
 We see it in verse 4 here.

00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:49.480
 I find no guilt in this man.

00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:51.480
 Same in verse 14.

00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:55.480
 Behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.

00:39:56.480 --> 00:39:59.480
 There's this confusion in his midst.

00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:02.480
 I can't see in all the evidence that's before me.

00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:04.480
 I can't see what you're seeing.

00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:06.480
 I can't see anything wrong with this man.

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:08.480
 I find no guilt.

00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:13.480
 He's got evidence before him, but he's not sure what to do with it.

00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:15.480
 And for ourselves, too.

00:40:15.480 --> 00:40:17.480
 That can so often be the case.

00:40:17.480 --> 00:40:21.480
 We've got the Bibles open before us, but we're confused.

00:40:21.480 --> 00:40:24.480
 We don't know what to believe or how to believe it.

00:40:24.480 --> 00:40:27.480
 Because the world tells us we don't need this.

00:40:27.480 --> 00:40:29.480
 We don't need to believe in this.

00:40:31.480 --> 00:40:32.480
 But we do.

00:40:33.480 --> 00:40:38.480
 And the voice of Pilate is one we hear so often.

00:40:38.480 --> 00:40:40.480
 And it's a voice that we say, I'm just not sure.

00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:44.480
 But the word of God is given that we might believe.

00:40:44.480 --> 00:40:46.480
 That we might be sure.

00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:52.480
 C.S. Lewis, in his book, A Grief Observed, he said this.

00:40:52.480 --> 00:40:59.480
 You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death.

00:40:59.480 --> 00:41:07.480
 It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong, as long as you're merely using it to cord a box.

00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:10.480
 But suppose you had to climb down a cliff.

00:41:11.480 --> 00:41:15.480
 Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it?

00:41:15.480 --> 00:41:21.480
 To be sure in something is so much more important when it's a matter of life and death.

00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:25.480
 Well, do you realize the seriousness of what's before us in the word of God?

00:41:25.480 --> 00:41:28.480
 It is matters of life and death.

00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:38.480
 Where does your hope lie for life and death and eternity?

00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:44.480
 Are you confused in it all because it is before us here in the word of God?

00:41:44.480 --> 00:41:51.480
 Jesus is the only one who is the way, the truth, and the life.

00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:58.480
 There's nothing this world can offer us that will be our hope for all eternity except for him.

00:41:59.480 --> 00:42:10.480
 If we are confused, the word of God speaks and pray that the Lord would guide you to know that certainty, to know that security that there is in Christ.

00:42:10.480 --> 00:42:17.480
 When Pilate asks the question here, are you the king of the Jews, what does Jesus say?

00:42:17.480 --> 00:42:22.480
 In verse 3 it says, he answered him, you have said so.

00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:27.480
 It looks like he's putting it back onto Pilate himself.

00:42:27.480 --> 00:42:30.480
 And the third thing that we see in Pilate's voice here is fear.

00:42:31.480 --> 00:42:34.480
 But it's not of God, it's of man.

00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:41.480
 You see, Pilate here says Jesus was before Pilate.

00:42:41.480 --> 00:42:44.480
 But ultimately, you can look at it the other way.

00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:47.480
 Pilate was before Jesus.

00:42:48.480 --> 00:42:50.480
 Pilate had a decision to make.

00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:52.480
 What would he do with Jesus?

00:42:53.480 --> 00:42:58.480
 What was he going to do with this man who he could find no guilt with?

00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:02.480
 The man who he wanted just to know, who are you?

00:43:02.480 --> 00:43:05.480
 Are you the king of the Jews?

00:43:06.480 --> 00:43:17.480
 Well, what becomes apparent is that as Pilate goes on, it is the crowd that becomes more important than Jesus.

00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:22.480
 He's more afraid of the crowd than he is of Jesus.

00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:26.480
 The authority he might lose.

00:43:26.480 --> 00:43:30.480
 His position that he might lose if he doesn't go with what they are saying.

00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:36.480
 They are crying out, release to us Barabbas and crucified Jesus.

00:43:36.480 --> 00:43:37.480
 Take this man away.

00:43:37.480 --> 00:43:40.480
 And who is he going to listen to?

00:43:40.480 --> 00:43:47.480
 Well, the fear of the Lord is nothing for him compared to the fear of man.

00:43:48.480 --> 00:43:50.480
 And is that you this evening?

00:43:51.480 --> 00:43:54.480
 What voice are you listening to in the midst of that?

00:43:55.480 --> 00:44:00.480
 It's the fear of the Lord that is greater to you and the fear of man.

00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:07.480
 Are you afraid of what you might lose if you claim Jesus as king?

00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:11.480
 Well, there's more to lose if you don't.

00:44:12.480 --> 00:44:17.480
 Pilate's voice speaks to us tonight, but it's a weak voice.

00:44:17.480 --> 00:44:21.480
 It's not a voice we want to listen to.

00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:26.480
 It's a voice full of doubt, full of confusion, full of fear.

00:44:27.480 --> 00:44:30.480
 And it's not one we want to prevail.

00:44:31.480 --> 00:44:35.480
 The second voice that we see here is the voice of the crowd.

00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:40.480
 The voice of the crowd speaks so powerfully in many ways.

00:44:40.480 --> 00:44:42.480
 And it's utter rejection.

00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:47.480
 First, they shout out, away with this man.

00:44:48.480 --> 00:44:49.480
 It's utter rejection.

00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:52.480
 Release to us Barabbas.

00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:54.480
 Who is Jesus to the crowd?

00:44:54.480 --> 00:44:55.480
 He is no one.

00:44:55.480 --> 00:44:57.480
 He is nothing to them.

00:44:57.480 --> 00:44:59.480
 They just want rid of him.

00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:00.480
 They want him gone.

00:45:01.480 --> 00:45:04.480
 And this is exactly what Isaiah had said would take place.

00:45:05.480 --> 00:45:08.480
 Isaiah writing about more than 600 years before this.

00:45:09.480 --> 00:45:10.480
 In Isaiah 53.

00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:16.480
 So much of what we see tonight and tomorrow we can see also in Isaiah 53.

00:45:17.480 --> 00:45:22.480
 In verse 3 of that chapter of Isaiah 53, it says,

00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:25.480
 He was despised and rejected by men.

00:45:25.480 --> 00:45:28.480
 A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

00:45:29.480 --> 00:45:35.480
 And as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.

00:45:35.480 --> 00:45:41.480
 Despised and rejected by men.

00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:50.480
 And so that was the crowd away with this man and released to us Barabbas.

00:45:50.480 --> 00:45:57.480
 And the same in John 1 verse 11.

00:45:57.480 --> 00:46:03.480
 It reminded there of how Jesus came to his own and his people did not receive him.

00:46:03.480 --> 00:46:06.480
 They wanted nothing to do with him.

00:46:07.480 --> 00:46:11.480
 And so here we are seeing the fulfillment of Scripture.

00:46:11.480 --> 00:46:15.480
 We are seeing the mocking of Jesus.

00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:18.480
 We are seeing the crowd shouting like a baying crowd.

00:46:18.480 --> 00:46:22.480
 And it says their voices prevailed.

00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:25.480
 Their voices prevailed.

00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:27.480
 Crucify him.

00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:29.480
 Crucify him.

00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:35.480
 It's not just a rejection of Jesus here of saying,

00:46:35.480 --> 00:46:37.480
 No, we don't want Jesus.

00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:40.480
 But we want rid of him.

00:46:41.480 --> 00:46:42.480
 We want rid of him entirely.

00:46:43.480 --> 00:46:44.480
 We want him condemned.

00:46:45.480 --> 00:46:46.480
 Put to death.

00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:47.480


00:46:48.480 --> 00:46:50.480
 The most shameful death that there is.

00:46:51.480 --> 00:46:53.480
 This is what they want for him.

00:46:54.480 --> 00:46:57.480
 And so they get their wish.

00:46:58.480 --> 00:47:00.480
 Their voices prevailed.

00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:06.480
 What we see in our society today is heading in the very same direction.

00:47:07.480 --> 00:47:10.480
 Where crowds are just baying for Jesus.

00:47:11.480 --> 00:47:12.480
 Not just to be gone.

00:47:13.480 --> 00:47:14.480
 But Jesus to be condemned.

00:47:15.480 --> 00:47:17.480
 Jesus to be put away entirely.

00:47:18.480 --> 00:47:22.480
 Not just to say no to Jesus and to God in our society.

00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:25.480
 But now we're coming to the point where we say,

00:47:25.480 --> 00:47:27.480
 We'll take the place of God.

00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:31.480
 We'll take matters into our own hands.

00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:36.480
 And it seems as it were as if these voices prevail in our midst.

00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:41.480
 That these voices are victorious.

00:47:42.480 --> 00:47:48.480
 It says that they handed, he delivered Jesus over to their will.

00:47:49.480 --> 00:47:51.480
 In verse 25 there, at the end there.

00:47:52.480 --> 00:47:53.480
 They delivered Jesus over.

00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:56.480
 He delivered Jesus over to their will.

00:47:57.480 --> 00:47:58.480
 But did he really?

00:47:58.480 --> 00:48:01.480
 It wasn't their will.

00:48:02.480 --> 00:48:04.480
 It was still God's will.

00:48:04.480 --> 00:48:07.480
 And we'll see more of that tomorrow, God willing.

00:48:07.480 --> 00:48:09.480
 But God was still in control.

00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:14.480
 God was still in charge in this situation.

00:48:14.480 --> 00:48:17.480
 And even in what's happening there is they released Barabbas.

00:48:18.480 --> 00:48:20.480
 And took Jesus away to be condemned.

00:48:21.480 --> 00:48:22.480
 What is it saying to us?

00:48:22.480 --> 00:48:25.480
 J.C. Riles speaks very powerfully about this.

00:48:25.480 --> 00:48:26.480
 He says,

00:48:26.480 --> 00:48:32.480
 We observe in this passage the remarkable circumstances connected to the release of Barabbas.

00:48:32.480 --> 00:48:38.480
 We are told that Pilate released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder.

00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:42.480
 But he delivered Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

00:48:42.480 --> 00:48:44.480
 The two people before him.

00:48:44.480 --> 00:48:48.480
 And he released to them one of the two.

00:48:48.480 --> 00:48:51.480
 The one was a sinner against God and man.

00:48:51.480 --> 00:48:54.480
 A criminal stained with many crimes.

00:48:55.480 --> 00:49:01.480
 The other was a holy and harmless and undefiled son of God in whom there was no fault at all.

00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:08.480
 And yet Pilate condemned the innocent prisoner and acquits the guilty.

00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:14.480
 He orders Barabbas to be set free and delivers Jesus to be crucified.

00:49:16.480 --> 00:49:20.480
 Barabbas set free and Jesus to be crucified.

00:49:20.480 --> 00:49:22.480
 And what is that saying to us?

00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:31.480
 Even though that thought of their voices prevailed, this whole exchange was reminding us of the exchange that would take place in the cross.

00:49:32.480 --> 00:49:41.480
 Where Christ, the innocent Lamb of God, would go in the place of sinners such as we are.

00:49:41.480 --> 00:49:44.480
 That he would be made sin who knew no sin.

00:49:44.480 --> 00:49:48.480
 That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

00:49:48.480 --> 00:49:51.480
 There was a powerful exchange.

00:49:51.480 --> 00:49:54.480
 But it was more than the people's will being done.

00:49:54.480 --> 00:49:59.480
 It was the will of God being done for the salvation of his people.

00:49:59.480 --> 00:50:05.480
 They are rejecting him, but they don't realize even who it is that they are rejecting.

00:50:05.480 --> 00:50:08.480
 Someone put it like this in Christ.

00:50:08.480 --> 00:50:12.480
 And what we have in Christ and what the danger is that we are rejecting.

00:50:12.480 --> 00:50:14.480
 We have a love that can never be fathomed.

00:50:14.480 --> 00:50:16.480
 A life that can never die.

00:50:16.480 --> 00:50:19.480
 A righteousness that can never be tarnished.

00:50:19.480 --> 00:50:22.480
 A peace that can never be understood.

00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:25.480
 A rest that can never be disturbed.

00:50:25.480 --> 00:50:27.480
 A joy that can never be diminished.

00:50:27.480 --> 00:50:31.480
 A hope that can never be disappointed.

00:50:31.480 --> 00:50:37.480
 All of these things that we have in Christ, and yet they're saying no.

00:50:37.480 --> 00:50:39.480
 Crucify him.

00:50:39.480 --> 00:50:41.480
 Crucify him.

00:50:41.480 --> 00:50:42.480
 Crucify him.

00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:45.480
 Release to us Barabbas.

00:50:45.480 --> 00:50:48.480
 And their voice prevailed.

00:50:48.480 --> 00:50:54.480
 Is that the voice that you are listening to this evening?

00:50:54.480 --> 00:50:58.480
 Is that the voice that you are following this evening?

00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:03.480
 The voice of the crowd that says away with him.

00:51:03.480 --> 00:51:04.480
 Crucify him.

00:51:04.480 --> 00:51:05.480
 Crucify him.

00:51:05.480 --> 00:51:06.480
 Crucify him.

00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:08.480
 They prevailed here.

00:51:08.480 --> 00:51:11.480
 But ultimately they're not victorious.

00:51:11.480 --> 00:51:14.480
 Because we have a third voice here.

00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:16.480
 A voice that we are to listen to.

00:51:16.480 --> 00:51:19.480
 A voice that we are to heed.

00:51:19.480 --> 00:51:22.480
 And that is the voice of the Lord.

00:51:22.480 --> 00:51:25.480
 The voice of Pilate was weak.

00:51:25.480 --> 00:51:28.480
 The voice of the crowd may have seemed to prevail.

00:51:28.480 --> 00:51:32.480
 But the greater voice of all here is the voice of the Lord.

00:51:32.480 --> 00:51:37.480
 And as we've read through these verses, you think to yourself,

00:51:37.480 --> 00:51:40.480
 Well, the Lord has not said much.

00:51:40.480 --> 00:51:44.480
 And the only words recorded for us are in verse 3.

00:51:44.480 --> 00:51:47.480
 You have said so.

00:51:47.480 --> 00:51:51.480
 But it makes us stop and ask,

00:51:51.480 --> 00:51:54.480
 Whose voice are we going to listen to?

00:51:54.480 --> 00:52:00.480
 What voice will we hear in the midst of all the voices crying out here?

00:52:00.480 --> 00:52:02.480
 Which voice will prevail?

00:52:02.480 --> 00:52:04.480
 Pilate who asked,

00:52:04.480 --> 00:52:07.480
 Are you the king of the Jews?

00:52:07.480 --> 00:52:11.480
 The crowd who said away with him, crucify him.

00:52:11.480 --> 00:52:14.480
 Or Jesus who says,

00:52:14.480 --> 00:52:16.480
 You have said so.

00:52:17.480 --> 00:52:22.480
 He is showing that he has authority.

00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:25.480
 And it comes back to the question,

00:52:25.480 --> 00:52:28.480
 Who is Jesus for you?

00:52:28.480 --> 00:52:30.480
 Is he Lord?

00:52:30.480 --> 00:52:32.480
 Is he king?

00:52:32.480 --> 00:52:35.480
 He is either Lord of all,

00:52:35.480 --> 00:52:39.480
 Or not Lord at all, as someone once put it.

00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:45.480
 And throughout Scripture, we have the voice of the Lord calling out for our response.

00:52:45.480 --> 00:52:49.480
 Even tonight, the voice of the Lord calls to us all,

00:52:49.480 --> 00:52:51.480
 Who is your Lord?

00:52:51.480 --> 00:52:53.480
 And where are you with him?

00:52:53.480 --> 00:52:57.480
 When you go through Scripture, you can pick out

00:52:57.480 --> 00:53:00.480
 moments when the voice of the Lord calls.

00:53:00.480 --> 00:53:02.480
 Go back to Genesis,

00:53:02.480 --> 00:53:04.480
 In chapter 3,

00:53:04.480 --> 00:53:07.480
 When Adam and Eve had sinned against God,

00:53:07.480 --> 00:53:09.480
 And the Lord came into the garden.

00:53:09.480 --> 00:53:11.480
 What does the voice of the Lord say there?

00:53:11.480 --> 00:53:12.480
 He asks,

00:53:12.480 --> 00:53:14.480
 Where are you?

00:53:14.480 --> 00:53:17.480
 Where are you?

00:53:17.480 --> 00:53:20.480
 And so the voice of the Lord speaks to us tonight.

00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:22.480
 Where are you?

00:53:22.480 --> 00:53:24.480
 Are you hiding from God?

00:53:24.480 --> 00:53:27.480
 Are you fleeing from God?

00:53:27.480 --> 00:53:30.480
 Are you coming to God?

00:53:30.480 --> 00:53:34.480
 You go into Joshua, chapter 24.

00:53:34.480 --> 00:53:36.480
 And Joshua is there speaking to the people,

00:53:36.480 --> 00:53:40.480
 People who are taking many different gods into their hearts.

00:53:40.480 --> 00:53:44.480
 And the voice of the Lord challenges in the midst of that,

00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:46.480
 Through Joshua, who says,

00:53:46.480 --> 00:53:48.480
 But as for me and my house,

00:53:48.480 --> 00:53:50.480
 We will serve the Lord.

00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:53.480
 And so the Lord puts,

00:53:53.480 --> 00:53:56.480
 Joshua puts the word of the Lord before us tonight.

00:53:56.480 --> 00:53:58.480
 Who do you serve?

00:53:58.480 --> 00:54:03.480
 In John chapter 10, verse 3,

00:54:03.480 --> 00:54:07.480
 The voice of the Lord calls there.

00:54:07.480 --> 00:54:08.480
 And what does it say?

00:54:08.480 --> 00:54:09.480
 It says,

00:54:09.480 --> 00:54:10.480
 The sheep hear his voice,

00:54:10.480 --> 00:54:12.480
 And he calls his own sheep by name,

00:54:12.480 --> 00:54:13.480
 And he leads them out.

00:54:13.480 --> 00:54:16.480
 And so it asks of us,

00:54:16.480 --> 00:54:18.480
 Who is it that you're following?

00:54:18.480 --> 00:54:23.480
 Are you following the voice of the Lord?

00:54:23.480 --> 00:54:25.480
 He stands before you,

00:54:25.480 --> 00:54:26.480
 And you need to answer.

00:54:26.480 --> 00:54:29.480
 And who is he to you?

00:54:31.480 --> 00:54:36.480
 Is the voice of the Lord prevailing in your life tonight?

00:54:36.480 --> 00:54:38.480
 He is calling.

00:54:38.480 --> 00:54:40.480
 He is calling.

00:54:40.480 --> 00:54:41.480
 Where are you?

00:54:41.480 --> 00:54:42.480
 He is calling.

00:54:42.480 --> 00:54:43.480
 Who do you serve?

00:54:43.480 --> 00:54:44.480
 He is calling.

00:54:44.480 --> 00:54:46.480
 Who will you follow?

00:54:46.480 --> 00:54:50.480
 But whose voice are you listening to?

00:54:50.480 --> 00:54:52.480
 Pilate asked,

00:54:52.480 --> 00:54:56.480
 Are you the king of the Jews?

00:54:56.480 --> 00:54:59.480
 He didn't realize just what he was asking,

00:54:59.480 --> 00:55:02.480
 Because this was no ordinary king.

00:55:02.480 --> 00:55:08.480
 He is a different kind of king to what Pilate and the scribes and the Pharisees thought they were looking at,

00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:09.480
 Thought they were putting on trial.

00:55:09.480 --> 00:55:14.480
 He is a king who came into the world to seek and to save the lost.

00:55:14.480 --> 00:55:21.480
 He is the king who came not to conquer earthly kingdoms, but to conquer the power of sin and death.

00:55:21.480 --> 00:55:26.480
 He is a greater king than anything they had imagined.

00:55:26.480 --> 00:55:30.480
 And yet their voices prevailed.

00:55:30.480 --> 00:55:33.480
 Pilate put him away.

00:55:33.480 --> 00:55:39.480
 The crowd said away with him, release to us, Barabbas, crucify him.

00:55:39.480 --> 00:55:42.480
 And their voices prevailed.

00:55:42.480 --> 00:55:46.480
 But no, it's the voice of the Lord.

00:55:46.480 --> 00:55:50.480
 It's the voice of the Lord that prevails in all of this.

00:55:50.480 --> 00:55:54.480
 Because he came for his own.

00:55:54.480 --> 00:55:57.480
 And he calls his own.

00:55:57.480 --> 00:56:04.480
 And as we think of preparing ourselves to come to the Lord's table,

00:56:04.480 --> 00:56:09.480
 We ask ourselves, why should we listen to this voice?

00:56:09.480 --> 00:56:13.480
 Because he has done it for you.

00:56:13.480 --> 00:56:26.480
 In the previous chapter, chapter 22, in verse 19 and 20, we see there the preparation of the Lord's supper.

00:56:26.480 --> 00:56:28.480
 And it says in verse 19,

00:56:28.480 --> 00:56:33.480
 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,

00:56:33.480 --> 00:56:39.480
 This is my body, which is given for you.

00:56:39.480 --> 00:56:43.480
 Do this in remembrance of me.

00:56:43.480 --> 00:56:47.480
 And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying,

00:56:47.480 --> 00:56:54.480
 This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

00:56:54.480 --> 00:57:01.480
 It is the Lord's voice that prevailed.

00:57:01.480 --> 00:57:07.480
 It is the voice, Lord, the voice of the Lord that we are to listen to.

00:57:07.480 --> 00:57:14.480
 Because everything that they were seeking to do against him here was to fulfill Scripture.

00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:19.480
 That he might save his people from their sins.

00:57:19.480 --> 00:57:24.480
 This body is given for you.

00:57:24.480 --> 00:57:29.480
 For you who will hear the voice of the Lord and follow him.

00:57:29.480 --> 00:57:33.480
 And this cup is poured out for you.

00:57:33.480 --> 00:57:38.480
 For you who will listen to the voice of the King.

00:57:38.480 --> 00:57:42.480
 Is he your King?

00:57:42.480 --> 00:57:47.480
 Is it his voice that prevails in it all?

00:57:47.480 --> 00:57:53.480
 Because the voice of Pilate is weak.

00:57:53.480 --> 00:57:56.480
 And ultimately puts Jesus away.

00:57:56.480 --> 00:58:02.480
 The voice of the crowd may be loud and strong and many ways prevail.

00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:05.480
 But it's still weak.

00:58:05.480 --> 00:58:08.480
 Because it wasn't their will that was done.

00:58:08.480 --> 00:58:11.480
 It was the will of God.

00:58:11.480 --> 00:58:15.480
 And the voice of the Lord speaks through it all.

00:58:15.480 --> 00:58:19.480
 Saying this I have done for you.

00:58:19.480 --> 00:58:25.480
 Will you come and remember him?

00:58:25.480 --> 00:58:29.480
 Will you come and follow the voice of the Lord.

00:58:29.480 --> 00:58:32.480
 And do this in remembrance of him?

00:58:32.480 --> 00:58:33.480
 Let us pray.

00:58:33.480 --> 00:58:42.480
 Our Father in heaven we thank you that you speak to us as your people.

00:58:42.480 --> 00:58:44.480
 That you call us to yourself.

00:58:44.480 --> 00:58:51.480
 That you remind us of the voices in this world that so often seem to have power and authority.

00:58:51.480 --> 00:58:53.480
 And yet the voices that are weak.

00:58:53.480 --> 00:58:56.480
 And the voices that will be silenced one day.

00:58:56.480 --> 00:58:59.480
 But we thank you that the voice of the Lord is heard.

00:58:59.480 --> 00:59:01.480
 And heard powerfully.

00:59:01.480 --> 00:59:06.480
 And we ask you Lord that you will speak to us anew this evening.

00:59:06.480 --> 00:59:09.480
 And remind us of all that you have done for us.

00:59:09.480 --> 00:59:13.480
 That you have prepared a table for your people.

00:59:13.480 --> 00:59:18.480
 That you have given the body and poured out your blood.

00:59:18.480 --> 00:59:21.480
 All for your people.

00:59:21.480 --> 00:59:25.480
 And that we might hear your voice calling to us to come.

00:59:25.480 --> 00:59:28.480
 And do this in remembrance of you.

00:59:28.480 --> 00:59:30.480
 So Lord go before us.

00:59:30.480 --> 00:59:31.480
 Guide us and help us.

00:59:31.480 --> 00:59:33.480
 Strengthen us in our faith.

00:59:33.480 --> 00:59:35.480
 And build us up together.

00:59:35.480 --> 00:59:38.480
 As we ask all in Jesus precious name.

00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:39.480
 Amen.

00:59:43.480 --> 00:59:47.480
 We're going to conclude by singing to God's praise in Psalm 116.

00:59:47.480 --> 00:59:51.480
 Psalm 116 in the Scottish Psalter.

00:59:51.480 --> 00:59:53.480
 Page 396.

00:59:57.480 --> 00:59:59.480
 Psalm 116.

00:59:59.480 --> 01:00:02.480
 We're going to sing from verse 4 to verse 7.

01:00:02.480 --> 01:00:03.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:03.480 --> 01:00:04.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:04.480 --> 01:00:06.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:06.480 --> 01:00:07.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:07.480 --> 01:00:11.480
 We'll sing these three stanzas to God's praise.

01:00:11.480 --> 01:00:16.480
 We'll sing these three stanzas to God's praise.

01:00:16.480 --> 01:00:35.480
 We'll sing these three stanzas to God's praise.

01:00:35.480 --> 01:00:36.480
 Amen.

01:00:36.480 --> 01:00:37.480
 Amen.

01:00:37.480 --> 01:00:38.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:38.480 --> 01:00:38.480


01:00:38.480 --> 01:00:38.480


01:00:38.480 --> 01:00:39.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:39.480 --> 01:00:38.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:38.480 --> 01:00:39.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:39.480 --> 01:00:40.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:40.480 --> 01:00:41.480
 Psalm 117.

01:00:41.480 --> 01:00:41.480


01:00:41.480 --> 01:00:42.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:42.480 --> 01:00:43.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:43.480 --> 01:00:46.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:46.480 --> 01:00:46.480


01:00:46.480 --> 01:00:46.480


01:00:46.480 --> 01:00:47.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:48.480 --> 01:00:48.480


01:00:48.480 --> 01:00:49.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:49.480 --> 01:00:50.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:50.480 --> 01:00:51.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:51.480 --> 01:00:51.480


01:00:51.480 --> 01:00:52.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:52.480 --> 01:00:53.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:53.480 --> 01:00:54.480
 Psalm 118.

01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:54.480


01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:54.480


01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:54.480


01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:58.519
 Psalm 119.

01:00:58.519 --> 01:00:58.519


01:00:58.519 --> 01:00:58.519


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01:00:58.519 --> 01:00:58.519


01:00:58.519 --> 01:00:58.519


01:01:07.480 --> 01:01:11.780
 We humbly pray.

01:01:12.559 --> 01:01:21.199
 Mercy full and righteous is,

01:01:21.199 --> 01:01:28.380
 Yea, gracious is our Lord.

01:01:28.840 --> 01:01:37.240
 God saves the meek I once got low.

01:01:37.480 --> 01:01:44.199
 He did me help afford.

01:01:44.199 --> 01:01:53.199
 O thou, my soul, do thou return,

01:01:54.099 --> 01:02:00.199
 Unto thy quiet place.

01:02:00.199 --> 01:02:06.919
 For thou, my soul, do thou,

01:02:06.920 --> 01:02:15.639
 Lord, to thee is found in the express.

01:02:15.639 --> 01:02:15.920
 Amen.

01:02:18.159 --> 01:02:20.679
 After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my left.

01:02:20.819 --> 01:02:22.059
 We'll close with the benediction.

01:02:22.059 --> 01:02:25.840
 Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God,

01:02:26.099 --> 01:02:28.139
 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

01:02:28.779 --> 01:02:31.039
 Rest upon and abide with you all,

01:02:31.119 --> 01:02:32.219
 Now and forevermore.

01:02:32.719 --> 01:02:33.159
 Amen.

01:02:33.159 --> 01:02:33.259
 Amen.

01:02:33.260 --> 01:02:33.940
 Amen.

01:02:33.940 --> 01:02:33.940


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