WEBVTT

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 Well, good morning. As Alex said, if you have your Bibles, you can go ahead and open them up to the book of Psalm.

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 I recently found out that I pronounced that incorrectly. I've heard that it's actually Sam or something like that.

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 So you'll just have to forgive my pronunciation throughout. I'm from Southcourt, actually.

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 So my pronunciation isn't perfect.

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 But yeah, if you have your Bibles, we're going to be reading here from Psalm 27 in just a moment.

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 But before I begin, I just want to express my thanks to the elders here at Carrigline Baptist Church for inviting me to come and open God's Word with you this morning.

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 For those of you who don't know me, as Alex shared, my wife and I, we have the privilege of serving at Carrig Tool Baptist Church.

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 But it's always such a joy and a privilege to be able to visit with our sister churches to see what God is doing in all the churches around the Cork-Carrig Project.

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 So thank you so much for having us and for being so welcoming.

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 Well, as you know, this summer in Ireland was uncharacteristically hot.

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 And when it gets hot, people like to find the nearest body of water, something they can jump into to cool themselves down.

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 And honestly, you can't really blame them.

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 I was actually pretty miserable this summer.

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 My wife loves the heat, but I was made for cooler temperatures.

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 So it was not for me.

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 But one of the things you're likely to see if you hang around a dock or a swimming pool long enough is a parent waiting in the water with their arms extended, coaxing their child to jump in.

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 And it's pretty cute if you've ever seen this unfold.

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 Because you have those kids who are naturally fearless, jumping into the water with reckless abandon.

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 But then you have those kids who are more tentative.

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 So they're slowly making their way to the edge.

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 And they require a bit more convincing.

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 I'm not going to ask which of those groups you belong to.

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 But have you ever thought about what goes through a child's head just before they jump?

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 So I asked my wife, Monica, this question recently.

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 And she said, I just wanted the adrenaline rush.

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 That's certainly one answer.

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 I don't know if that would have been my answer.

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 But she gave another answer as well.

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 She said, trust.

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 She had confidence that her mom and her dad were both willing and able to take care of her if she made that leap.

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 And in our text this morning, we're going to see a similar kind of trust.

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 We'll see that the psalmist's confidence in the face of hardship, it comes from knowing that God is able and willing to take care of him.

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 And it's my prayer that as we leave from this place this morning, we'll do so with a greater degree of trusting God.

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 No matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves this morning.

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 And that we would have a greater desire for God's presence in our own lives.

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 So I want to begin by working verse by verse through the psalm before turning to a few points of application.

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 But before I dive in, let's just take some time once again to pray together before we turn to God's word.

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 God, thank you so much for your word and for the privilege of sharing it with the folks at Karageline Baptist Church this morning.

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 Would you help me to explain the message clearly?

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 The message that you intended to convey, God.

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 Not something from me.

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 And would you help that message to take root in our hearts?

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 For those who are here this morning who have not placed their faith in you,

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 would you reveal to them by your Holy Spirit that you are good and you are trustworthy?

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 And God, would you give me clarity of speech, clarity of thought, calmness of spirit?

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 And I ask all these things in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 So let's read the text together.

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 Beginning in verse 1, it says, the Psalm of David.

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 The Lord is my light and my salvation.

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 Whom shall I fear?

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 The Lord is the stronghold of my life.

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 Of whom shall I be afraid?

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 When the wicked advance against me to devour me,

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 it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

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 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear.

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 Though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

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 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek,

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 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

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 to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

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 For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling.

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 He will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

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 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me.

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 At his sacred tent, I will sacrifice with shouts of joy.

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 I will sing and make music to the Lord.

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 Hear my voice when I call, Lord.

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 Be merciful to me and answer me.

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 My heart says this of you.

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 Seek his face.

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 Your face, Lord, I will seek.

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 Do not hide your face from me.

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 Do not turn your servant away in anger.

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 You have been my helper.

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 Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.

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 Though my father and mother forsake me,

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 the Lord will receive me.

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 Teach me your way, Lord.

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 Lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

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 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes.

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 For false witnesses rise up against me,

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 spouting malicious accusations.

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 I remain confident of this.

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 I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

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 Wait for the Lord.

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 Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Well, just to give a little bit of background to our text this morning,

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 you may have noticed at the outset that in our text,

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 we're given a simple inscription of David.

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 Now, the Hebrew construction that translates to the English phrase of David,

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 it can mean that David is the author of this particular psalm,

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 or possibly that David is just the subject of this psalm,

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 that the psalm is written about him.

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 And there are other potential translations as well.

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 But while it's difficult to know with certainty,

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 I think it's likely the psalm was written by David.

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 I think the evidence points in that direction.

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 But beyond this simple inscription at the beginning of our text,

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 we aren't given any additional information about the circumstances that gave rise to it.

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 The sort of information we find, for instance, in Psalm chapter 51,

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 where we're told that David had composed that particular psalm

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 after he had been confronted in his adultery with Bathsheba.

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 And information like that, it helps to set the stage and to provide some useful context.

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 Psalm 27 doesn't give us that sort of context,

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 but that certainly doesn't take away from its significance or its usefulness

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 in the life of believers today.

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 In our text, we see the psalmist, David,

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 that he begins and ends with expressions of his confidence in God.

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 And expressions of great difficulty sprinkled in between.

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 So I want to break the text into four main sections this morning.

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 In verses 1 to 3, we'll see David's initial expression of confidence in God.

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 In verses 4 to 6, David's desire for protection in God's presence.

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 In verses 7 to 12, we'll see David cry out with pressing needs.

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 And finally, in verses 13 to 14, we're going to see David's confidence revisited.

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 So let's begin with the first section, David's confidence.

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 In these opening verses, David proclaims his confidence in the face of extreme hardship,

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 and he gives us the reason for it.

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 Let's look again at verses 1 to 3.

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 David says,

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 The Lord is the stronghold of my life.

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 Of whom shall I be afraid?

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 When the wicked advance against me to devour me,

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 it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

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 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear.

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 Though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

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 Why is it that David is able to remain confident in the face of extreme hardship?

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 It's because of who God is.

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 And what he is capable of.

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 David recognizes that God is able to save and to defend, no matter the situation.

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 And I don't know about you, but when I look at this list of things that David says he has no reason to fear,

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 I can't help but think about how uniquely terrifying some of them are.

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 So we have an army making war against him.

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 We have enemies who are intent on David's destruction.

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 Now you and I, we might have forgiven David for thinking,

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 Yeah, you actually have really good reason to be afraid right now.

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 But David doesn't go that way.

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 David voices his confidence in God.

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 God is up to the task of taking care of David.

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 He's even able to make the plans of those wishing to do David harm come to nothing.

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 And this is certainly a reality that David would see outplay or play out in his life time and time again.

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 To give just one example, you may remember David's encounter with a little guy named Goliath.

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 We're told in 1 Samuel that David was brave when even the king, Saul, shrunk back in fear.

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 David says to Saul in 1 Samuel 17, verse 37,

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 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.

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 And if you remember that story, God did rescue David that day.

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 Goliath, the enemy intent on destroying David and the peoples of God,

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 was the one who stumbled and fell that day.

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 And turning now to verses 4 to 6,

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 we see David's desire for protection in God's presence.

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 So let's read those verses again.

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 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek,

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 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

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 to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

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 For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling.

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 He will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

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 But look at verse 6.

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 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me.

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 At his sacred tent, I will sacrifice with shouts of joy.

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 I will sing and make music to the Lord.

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 In these verses, David uses these two phrases,

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 the house of the Lord and in his temple.

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 And these two phrases, they speak to the period of redemptive history

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 where God's presence was specially connected to place.

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 In David's day, that place was the tabernacle.

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 This is the place where God's people, they would go to worship,

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 to offer sacrifices, to connect with God in a special sort of way.

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 Things are different with us now as members of a new covenant,

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 but this is the way they sort of interacted with God's presence in the old covenant.

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 In verse 4, we're told that this is the place that David wants to stay forever.

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 And why? Because he knows that God's presence means God's protection.

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 And when, by God's hand, David is protected,

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 he's going to worship God for what he's done.

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 So turning to verses 7 to 12,

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 you may have noticed that the tone of the psalm begins to change.

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 We see David cry out to God with what seemed to be very pressing needs.

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 And again, we don't know the specific circumstances that occasion this psalm,

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 but we can see that David is really in some sort of trouble here.

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 Let's look again at verse 7.

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 Hear my voice when I call, Lord.

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 Be merciful to me and answer me.

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 My heart says of you, seek his face.

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 In your face, Lord, I will seek.

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 Do not hide your face from me.

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 Do not turn your servant away in anger.

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 You have been my helper.

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 Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.

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 Though my father and mother forsake me,

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 the Lord will receive me.

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 Teach me your way, Lord.

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 Lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

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 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

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 for false witnesses rise up against me,

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 spouting malicious accusations.

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 Note David's response to this trouble,

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 but also the ground of his hope in this difficult circumstance.

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 How does David respond to this hardship?

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 By seeking God.

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 By asking for direction,

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 God's guidance, and protection.

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 David chooses to turn to God

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 in the midst of these difficulties

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 because God has come through for him

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 time and time again.

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 And he trusts that God is able to do it once more.

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 What is the extent of God's care for David

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 expressed in this psalm?

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 Even if he's abandoned by his own father and mother,

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 God will not abandon him.

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 So finally, let's look at verses 13 and 14,

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 where the tone of the psalm seems to shift

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 one final time.

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 David ends the psalm in a place of confidence

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 once more.

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 I remain confident of this.

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 I will see the goodness of the Lord

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 in the land of the living.

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 Wait for the Lord.

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 Be strong and take heart

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 and wait for the Lord.

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 In verses 7 to 12,

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 David lets us know that

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 he needs God to come through.

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 There are people who wish to do him harm,

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 people who have sought to destroy

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 David's reputation.

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 But in spite of all of those difficulties,

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 he's confident that God is going to work,

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 even if some waiting is required.

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 Charles Spurgeon, as he was reflecting

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 on verse 13, he had this to say.

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 According to our varied experiences,

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 we must all subscribe to the declaration

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 that this earth is more or less

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 a valley of tears.

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 That is not our rest,

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 for it is polluted.

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 There are too many thorns in this nest

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 for us to abide comfortably in it.

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 But faith comes into this unpromising field

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 and believes she will see the goodness

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 of the Lord even here.

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 She rushes into the fiercest fight

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 that ever rages,

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 fully believing she will see

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 the banner of the Lord's mercy and truth

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 waving even there.

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 She bears the burden and heat

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 of the earthly toil

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 and expects to experience

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 the Lord's faithful love beneath it all.

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 She knows she will see more of her God

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 in the land beyond the flood.

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 But still she expects to see

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 the goodness of the Lord

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 even in this land of the living

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 that is so distracted and disturbed

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 with sorrows and cares,

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 trials and tribulations.

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 This is the confidence

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 in which David rests,

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 that he will see

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 the goodness of God

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 once again.

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 Now before we bring our time together

00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:27.119
 to a close,

00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:29.119
 I want to leave you

00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:30.299
 with just a few points

00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:31.019
 of application.

00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:35.159
 I know I'm preaching

00:19:35.159 --> 00:19:35.960
 to the choir here.

00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:37.159
 I don't have to tell you

00:19:37.159 --> 00:19:38.559
 that as Christians,

00:19:38.899 --> 00:19:41.119
 we're not immune to hardship.

00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.719
 In fact, you could argue

00:19:43.719 --> 00:19:44.759
 that in some cases

00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:45.759
 being a Christian

00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:47.779
 invites even more hardship.

00:19:49.699 --> 00:19:52.059
 In a congregation of this size,

00:19:52.179 --> 00:19:53.439
 I'm sure that there's been

00:19:53.439 --> 00:19:55.619
 experiences of real difficulty.

00:19:58.119 --> 00:19:59.459
 Experiences of pain,

00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:00.359
 of hurt,

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:02.079
 and threat.

00:20:03.939 --> 00:20:05.319
 In our own church

00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:06.239
 back in Carrad Tool,

00:20:07.159 --> 00:20:08.379
 we've seen battles

00:20:08.380 --> 00:20:10.040
 with debilitating illness.

00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:13.300
 We've seen infertility.

00:20:14.420 --> 00:20:16.680
 We've seen the loss of job,

00:20:16.800 --> 00:20:17.720
 the loss of home.

00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:21.060
 Don't answer out loud,

00:20:21.140 --> 00:20:22.280
 but if those have been

00:20:22.280 --> 00:20:23.420
 some of your experiences,

00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:25.420
 what has been the basis

00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:26.340
 of your hope

00:20:26.340 --> 00:20:28.600
 when difficulties like that arise?

00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:30.460
 Just think about that

00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:30.960
 for a moment.

00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:34.740
 What grounds your hope

00:20:34.740 --> 00:20:35.620
 as a believer

00:20:35.620 --> 00:20:37.700
 in those difficult moments?

00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:41.020
 Friends,

00:20:41.100 --> 00:20:41.700
 if God is able

00:20:41.700 --> 00:20:42.940
 to take care of David,

00:20:43.540 --> 00:20:44.580
 he is able

00:20:44.580 --> 00:20:45.620
 to take care of you.

00:20:48.220 --> 00:20:49.180
 How different

00:20:49.180 --> 00:20:50.660
 would the trying seasons

00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:52.300
 of our life be

00:20:52.300 --> 00:20:53.160
 if we could learn

00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:54.400
 to rest in that truth?

00:20:56.920 --> 00:20:58.140
 If you're here this morning

00:20:58.140 --> 00:20:59.060
 and you're in the middle

00:20:59.060 --> 00:21:00.840
 of an extreme hardship,

00:21:01.780 --> 00:21:03.540
 how have you responded to it?

00:21:03.539 --> 00:21:07.440
 I know it can be

00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.359
 so easy to point the finger

00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:09.920
 at God,

00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:10.720
 to spiral,

00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:12.659
 to become paralyzed

00:21:12.659 --> 00:21:13.859
 by our griefs,

00:21:13.879 --> 00:21:14.379
 our fears,

00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:15.440
 and our anxieties,

00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:17.960
 but what if instead

00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:19.379
 we turn to God immediately,

00:21:20.379 --> 00:21:22.759
 believing that he is both able

00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:23.899
 and willing

00:21:23.899 --> 00:21:25.779
 to come through for us again,

00:21:26.420 --> 00:21:28.639
 believing that he will

00:21:28.639 --> 00:21:30.079
 never abandon us,

00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:31.879
 believing that he is able

00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:32.880
 to lead us down

00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:34.720
 a level path?

00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:38.340
 As I was preparing

00:21:38.340 --> 00:21:38.720
 the sermon,

00:21:38.800 --> 00:21:39.700
 I went through the text

00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:40.660
 and I tried to make

00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:42.480
 a sort of inventory

00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:43.720
 of the ways

00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:45.260
 in which God

00:21:45.260 --> 00:21:45.960
 is described

00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:46.820
 by the psalmist

00:21:46.820 --> 00:21:47.600
 in this passage.

00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:48.360
 I just want to share

00:21:48.360 --> 00:21:48.900
 with you

00:21:48.900 --> 00:21:50.820
 a few of the things

00:21:50.820 --> 00:21:51.400
 I noticed.

00:21:53.600 --> 00:21:54.480
 The psalmist says

00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:54.860
 of God

00:21:54.860 --> 00:21:55.760
 that he's a savior

00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:57.039
 and he's a defender.

00:21:58.759 --> 00:21:59.879
 He's powerful

00:21:59.879 --> 00:22:01.599
 and he's in control.

00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:04.519
 He's a helpful guide

00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:05.599
 and teacher.

00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:08.460
 If you're in Christ

00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:09.220
 here this morning,

00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:10.700
 this is the one,

00:22:10.759 --> 00:22:12.359
 to use a boxing analogy,

00:22:12.619 --> 00:22:13.759
 this is the one you have

00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.420
 in your corner

00:22:14.420 --> 00:22:15.160
 this morning.

00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:19.540
 Now one great difficulty

00:22:19.540 --> 00:22:20.720
 of the Christian life

00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:22.000
 that's reflected here

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.019
 in David's words

00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:25.600
 in verses 13 to 14

00:22:25.600 --> 00:22:28.200
 is that God does not work

00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:29.060
 on our timeline.

00:22:30.820 --> 00:22:32.000
 His ways

00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:34.040
 are not our ways.

00:22:36.060 --> 00:22:37.120
 He's able

00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:38.620
 to come through for us,

00:22:38.700 --> 00:22:39.200
 we know this,

00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:40.100
 but sometimes

00:22:40.100 --> 00:22:41.960
 that requires waiting.

00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:44.340
 And this is a lesson

00:22:44.340 --> 00:22:45.039
 that many of us

00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:45.539
 here today

00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:46.299
 have learned

00:22:46.299 --> 00:22:47.880
 or are in the process

00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:48.539
 of learning.

00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:51.019
 If necessary,

00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:52.480
 brothers and sisters,

00:22:52.860 --> 00:22:54.360
 wait on the Lord.

00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:57.640
 Now,

00:22:57.740 --> 00:22:58.779
 if you're on the back end

00:22:58.779 --> 00:22:59.400
 of hardship

00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:00.299
 and difficulty,

00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:02.940
 if God has led you through,

00:23:03.360 --> 00:23:03.900
 again,

00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.440
 what has been your response?

00:23:07.340 --> 00:23:09.180
 In verses 4 and 5,

00:23:09.860 --> 00:23:10.779
 David voices

00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:11.960
 his desire

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:12.599
 to remain

00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:13.700
 in the Lord's presence

00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:14.940
 forever

00:23:14.940 --> 00:23:16.539
 because he knows

00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:17.099
 that God

00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:17.660
 is able

00:23:17.660 --> 00:23:18.700
 to protect him.

00:23:20.059 --> 00:23:21.019
 But remember

00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:21.680
 verse 6,

00:23:23.240 --> 00:23:24.139
 then my head

00:23:24.139 --> 00:23:24.819
 will be exalted

00:23:24.819 --> 00:23:26.079
 above the enemies

00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.139
 who surround me.

00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.859
 At his sacred tent,

00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:31.240
 I will sacrifice

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:32.619
 with shouts of joy.

00:23:32.980 --> 00:23:33.859
 I will sing

00:23:33.859 --> 00:23:34.700
 and make music

00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:35.399
 to the Lord.

00:23:37.740 --> 00:23:38.200
 You see,

00:23:38.460 --> 00:23:39.319
 David says here,

00:23:39.460 --> 00:23:40.700
 when by God's hand

00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:42.039
 I am protected

00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:44.039
 and I am taken care of,

00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:46.039
 I'm going to worship.

00:23:47.460 --> 00:23:48.299
 I'm going

00:23:48.299 --> 00:23:49.559
 to give thanks

00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:50.259
 for it.

00:23:52.100 --> 00:23:52.779
 Yes,

00:23:53.259 --> 00:23:54.539
 members of this body

00:23:54.539 --> 00:23:55.620
 have experienced

00:23:55.620 --> 00:23:57.180
 real difficulty,

00:23:57.779 --> 00:23:58.779
 real trials

00:23:58.779 --> 00:23:59.759
 and tribulations,

00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:02.840
 but I also know

00:24:02.840 --> 00:24:03.600
 God enough

00:24:03.600 --> 00:24:04.960
 to know that

00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:05.880
 you've seen God

00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:06.480
 come through

00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:07.380
 in big ways.

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:10.840
 at our own church,

00:24:10.840 --> 00:24:13.200
 we've seen God

00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:14.140
 provide housing

00:24:14.140 --> 00:24:14.740
 for people

00:24:14.740 --> 00:24:15.460
 who needed it.

00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:18.380
 We've seen God

00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:19.240
 provide treatment

00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:20.400
 and healing

00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:23.040
 to give children

00:24:23.040 --> 00:24:24.380
 when it seemed

00:24:24.380 --> 00:24:24.960
 impossible.

00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:25.059
 impossible.

00:24:27.460 --> 00:24:28.640
 And as we reflect

00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:29.620
 on these things,

00:24:30.120 --> 00:24:31.819
 let this be our desire

00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:33.100
 to praise God

00:24:33.100 --> 00:24:34.079
 for the way

00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:35.000
 he has

00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:36.279
 and continues

00:24:36.279 --> 00:24:37.460
 to care for us.

00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:40.380
 Now,

00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:40.680
 finally,

00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:41.700
 if you're here today

00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:43.519
 and you haven't

00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:44.259
 placed your faith

00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:44.840
 and trust

00:24:44.840 --> 00:24:45.400
 in Jesus

00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:46.279
 or you don't even know

00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:47.460
 what that would look like,

00:24:48.460 --> 00:24:49.519
 I'd ask you

00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:50.579
 to consider the words

00:24:50.579 --> 00:24:51.659
 of the psalmist today.

00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:55.519
 It's my prayer

00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:56.240
 that you would see

00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:56.939
 that faith

00:24:56.939 --> 00:24:57.679
 and trust

00:24:57.679 --> 00:24:58.299
 in God

00:24:58.299 --> 00:24:59.419
 will never

00:24:59.419 --> 00:25:00.480
 be misplaced.

00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:04.259
 In one of my favorite verses,

00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:05.419
 the author

00:25:05.419 --> 00:25:06.439
 of the book of Hebrews,

00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:07.240
 he tells us

00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:08.099
 in chapter 7,

00:25:08.419 --> 00:25:09.159
 verse 25,

00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:10.879
 that he is able

00:25:10.879 --> 00:25:12.319
 to save completely

00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:14.299
 those who come

00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:14.819
 to God

00:25:14.819 --> 00:25:15.439
 through him

00:25:15.439 --> 00:25:17.939
 because he always

00:25:17.939 --> 00:25:19.099
 lives to intercede

00:25:19.099 --> 00:25:19.599
 for them.

00:25:20.579 --> 00:25:22.539
 Friends,

00:25:22.639 --> 00:25:23.159
 if you don't know

00:25:23.159 --> 00:25:23.720
 where you stand

00:25:23.720 --> 00:25:24.179
 this morning,

00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:25.259
 let me assure you,

00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:26.960
 you can depend on him

00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.299
 both for your salvation

00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:30.779
 and to help you

00:25:30.779 --> 00:25:31.960
 navigate a life

00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:33.339
 that is so often

00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:34.799
 filled with hardship,

00:25:35.699 --> 00:25:36.339
 difficulty,

00:25:37.159 --> 00:25:37.579
 threat,

00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:39.179
 and discouragement.

00:25:40.859 --> 00:25:41.839
 Let's pray together.

00:25:47.439 --> 00:25:47.919
 God,

00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:48.879
 what a wonderful privilege

00:25:48.879 --> 00:25:49.500
 it's been

00:25:49.500 --> 00:25:50.640
 to share your word

00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:51.380
 this morning.

00:25:53.319 --> 00:25:54.000
 None of us

00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:54.539
 are immune

00:25:54.539 --> 00:25:55.359
 to hardships

00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:56.299
 and difficulties,

00:25:56.500 --> 00:25:56.779
 God,

00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:58.980
 but this is our hope

00:25:58.980 --> 00:26:00.019
 that you are able

00:26:00.019 --> 00:26:01.319
 and willing

00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:03.079
 to come through

00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:03.680
 for us.

00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:05.079
 Even if that

00:26:05.079 --> 00:26:06.000
 doesn't look the way

00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:06.640
 that we think

00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:07.279
 it should look,

00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:08.779
 even if that isn't

00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:09.940
 at the time

00:26:09.940 --> 00:26:10.480
 that we think

00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:11.000
 it should be,

00:26:11.059 --> 00:26:11.339
 God,

00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:13.079
 you have been faithful

00:26:13.079 --> 00:26:14.940
 before you

00:26:14.940 --> 00:26:15.880
 will be faithful

00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:16.519
 again.

00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:18.139
 God,

00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:18.460
 if there are

00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:18.799
 those here

00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:19.200
 this morning

00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:19.680
 who have not

00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:20.460
 placed their faith

00:26:20.460 --> 00:26:21.000
 and their trust

00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:21.420
 in you,

00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:22.559
 I ask that

00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:23.299
 by the power

00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:24.279
 of your Holy Spirit

00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:24.839
 you would draw

00:26:24.839 --> 00:26:26.099
 them into

00:26:26.099 --> 00:26:26.740
 relationship

00:26:26.740 --> 00:26:28.539
 with your Son

00:26:28.539 --> 00:26:31.639
 who loves them,

00:26:31.819 --> 00:26:32.460
 who gave

00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:34.180
 his self for them.

00:26:34.180 --> 00:26:36.519
 and we ask

00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:37.360
 all these things

00:26:37.360 --> 00:26:37.980
 in his name.

00:26:39.120 --> 00:26:39.460
 Amen.

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:39.580
 Amen.

00:26:39.580 --> 00:26:39.580


00:26:39.580 --> 00:26:39.580


00:26:39.580 --> 00:26:39.580


00:26:39.580 --> 00:26:39.580