WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.200 You get to a certain age, I don't think I'm quite there yet, when you talk about the good 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:08.040 old days. 00:00:08.040 --> 00:00:12.359 It wasn't like that in my day, it was better in the past. 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:16.199 You could leave all your doors open, everyone was safe, we had a community, people helped 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:17.719 each other out. 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:19.120 Those were the days. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:24.359 Now, my grandad who's with the Lord now, he used to talk a little bit like that. 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:30.879 He used to tell me regularly about how much he could get for a shilling. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.719 Now, some of you might think, what is he talking about? 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:34.719 A shilling? 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:35.719 It's old money. 00:00:35.719 --> 00:00:39.359 I don't even know how much that is in today's money. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.439 But he used to say, I used to be able to go out with a shilling. 00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:47.280 Every time he told me this, the amount that he could do for a shilling seems to get more. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:50.439 He said, I used to go out with a shilling, I used to go to the football, get the bus 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:55.599 there and back, get fish and chips for the family and still have changed for a paper. 00:00:55.599 --> 00:00:57.199 Those were the good old days. 00:00:57.199 --> 00:01:02.320 Now, if you're a bit younger, maybe we don't use that terminology, the good old days. 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:05.840 But we all love to reminisce about our past. 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:11.359 And I think the way that we might talk about it is our glory days. 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:12.359 Our glory days. 00:01:12.359 --> 00:01:18.599 Maybe it was that time in your 20s, you went away on your first holiday or maybe the days 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:25.119 you remember graduating, those times when you used to live in student accommodation. 00:01:25.119 --> 00:01:30.599 Other times when we remember our past, the glory days, it's nostalgia. 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:37.840 Now for us, we're tempted outweigh to look at glory days through slightly roast tinted 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:39.519 glasses. 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:44.519 But nevertheless, it is a time, the reason we look back and think of it in nostalgic 00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:48.399 ways because we love to relive it. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.560 And we're going to see that this is what the God's people are experiencing at the writing 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:53.560 of the Psalm. 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:58.560 Now, we don't know exactly when this Psalm was written, but everything in the language 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:06.760 used points to it being written when the Israelites had returned from exile back to Jerusalem. 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:13.520 At that time, when they went back to Jerusalem after being in exile, the Israelites really 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:20.880 did experience a yearning for glory days because when they looked back or they heard their 00:02:20.880 --> 00:02:26.800 ancestors tell them stories, there really was a time when they weren't looking through 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:32.120 roast tinted spectacles because there really was a time when Israel God's people were much 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:36.760 more glorious than when the Psalm was written. 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:43.799 And I don't mean just the metaphor as glorious sort of good moments in nostalgic moments, 00:02:43.799 --> 00:02:50.879 but there was a time of true glory when the presence of God, the glory of God was present 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:57.399 with his people right at the heart of Jerusalem, his very presence, his glory was present, 00:02:57.399 --> 00:03:02.959 dwelling with them in the inner sanctuary of the temple. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:08.760 Those were Israel's glory days, the glory of God living with them days. 00:03:08.760 --> 00:03:13.319 But when the Psalmist writes this song, those days are long gone. 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:19.040 The temple and Jerusalem along with it had been destroyed by the Babylonian Empire just 00:03:19.040 --> 00:03:21.319 to give you an idea of geography. 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:25.159 Babylon is where modern day Iraq is. 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:30.000 God's people had been taken into captivity and the presence, the glory of God dwelling 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.560 with his people disappeared. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:39.080 It was something that only the older members of the community could remember. 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:41.960 But the captivity, as you know, it wasn't the end of the story. 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:44.560 God's people eventually returned to Israel. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:50.000 They rebuilt the temple, but here's the twist with the story. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:55.120 The twist of the story for God's people is that they returned to Israel, but the glory, 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:01.480 the actual presence of the glory of God with his people, it never returns. 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:07.439 Now, it is quite hard for any of us today, I suppose, to really understand what we mean 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:11.239 by the glory of God dwelling. 00:04:11.239 --> 00:04:17.039 It's not where God lived as such, but it's where he was, there was an intense manifestation 00:04:17.039 --> 00:04:21.639 of his radiance and beauty and glory inside the temple. 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:26.240 And this is where we're at, I think, when we come to this Psalm. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:32.680 It's important sometimes to set a context of where we are because it helps us to understand 00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:36.480 the emotive response that God's people had. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:43.360 They've returned to Israel, they've rebuilt the temple, but the glory of God isn't there. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:48.519 They want to be restored to their former glory. 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:51.639 And so as we come to this Psalm, that's what we're going to be thinking about, what this 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:56.439 Psalm means to God's people, and through that, the significance of what it might mean for 00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:58.759 his church today. 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:04.599 The first thing I want us to look at is, revive us again as you did in the past. 00:05:04.599 --> 00:05:06.839 Revive us again as you did in the past. 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.240 This song is a lament. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:14.439 And what we see is there's kind of, there's a partial happiness. 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:19.800 They're happy to be back in the land, but it's not like it used to be. 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:21.920 They've seen God's goodness to them. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:27.759 You see with that in verse 1, Lord, you were favorable to your land. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.600 You restored the fortunes of Jacob. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:34.240 Jacob just means Israel here. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:39.240 God showed them favor by returning them from captivity. 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.439 We know what it means, don't we, if something is restored. 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:46.360 Some of us will remember quite a few years back. 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:52.040 Maybe some of, for others, there's other more recent memories, but I don't know if you remember 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:58.199 Windsor Castle when it went up in flames, or even more recently Notre Dame. 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:03.920 The work of the craftsmen involved to restore Windsor Castle was to restore it to its former 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:04.920 glory. 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:10.439 Notre Dame, I just read the other days, hopefully going to be restored to the public so that 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:14.800 we can, people can go visit again in the next year or so. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:23.120 The point, the point of restoration is to be restored to how things used to be. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:28.920 That's the same with God's people, and there's something even more pertinent with God's people, 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:36.439 because the restoration of the land is an indication to them that they are blessed spiritually. 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:41.360 It's an indication that they're blessed spiritually, that God actually has forgiven them. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:45.800 Verse two, you forgive the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:51.720 Verse three, we see He's turned aside His anger and wrath. 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:56.759 If the Psalm finished at verse three, you would assume, you would assume that everything 00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:05.120 was good, but then we get this change, the change that leaves with annoying question. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:08.800 If they're in the land, if they've been forgiven, why is it different? 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:10.800 Why hasn't the glory of God returned? 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:14.400 Why is God not present with His people in the same way? 00:07:14.400 --> 00:07:16.960 It leads them to pour their hearts out. 00:07:16.960 --> 00:07:22.280 Verse six, restore us again, O God of our salvation. 00:07:22.280 --> 00:07:23.639 Put away your indignation. 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:25.639 Will you be angry with us forever? 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:29.080 Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice? 00:07:29.080 --> 00:07:33.199 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:41.279 You might say, you might say that they feel like they've only been partially restored. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.519 We want to be restored to our former glory. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:50.159 You imagine Notre Dame being reopened, but there's no windows or half the building is 00:07:50.159 --> 00:07:53.039 still in rubble, yet the other half is immaculate. 00:07:53.039 --> 00:07:54.039 That's how it feels to them. 00:07:54.039 --> 00:07:57.039 They're in the land, but the glory's not there. 00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:03.480 Now, we're not the Old Testament people of God, the people of Israel, we're New Testament 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:08.400 believers, the church, and the church is not tied to a geographical land. 00:08:08.400 --> 00:08:11.439 The church is made up of all nations. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:17.320 However, we're well aware that there are some areas of our world where the church, the people 00:08:17.320 --> 00:08:24.600 of God are growing at an unprecedented rate in Sub-Saharan and Western Africa and in other 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:26.000 areas of Asia. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:33.120 Yet, we might look at our own nation in Scotland, and we've seen over the 20 years and more 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.720 the church in different parts of our nation shrinking. 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:43.759 It could feel to us as we look at Scotland, knowing it's not a geographical thing, like 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:49.679 the glory days for Christianity in Scotland have gone. 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:55.279 Just like the Israelites look to God to restore their nation, it is right for us to desire 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:59.639 God to restore the church here. 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:04.879 As it's well documented, as you'll have heard it many times said from this front here, Scotland 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:08.559 used to be known as the land of the book, the land of the Bible. 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:13.279 You might look and say the church, God's people, are still around, of course we are, but it 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:16.839 doesn't look as glorious. 00:09:16.839 --> 00:09:17.839 Do we feel that? 00:09:17.839 --> 00:09:22.839 Because I feel that. 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:26.960 There are lots of reasons as to why that has happened. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:32.800 We could spend a long time going through looking at that, but notice here in this psalm, the 00:09:32.800 --> 00:09:36.720 writer, he doesn't give reasons as to why. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.960 He just wants the glory to return. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:46.320 There is times, and appropriate times, when we could talk about why the church has gone 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:52.320 in that way, and that has its place at the right moment, realizing mistakes made by the 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:55.600 church should stop us from making the same mistakes twice. 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:57.440 But that's not mentioned in the psalm. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:03.400 The emphasis is not on what man should have done, but asking God to be the orchestrator 00:10:03.400 --> 00:10:08.400 of restoring his own glory. 00:10:08.400 --> 00:10:12.720 That is what we need. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:17.960 As individuals and as a corporate entity, we need God. 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:23.080 And we need Him to hear us and to answer us because we rely on Him alone to do it. 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:26.160 The restoration of God's people in the land comes from God. 00:10:26.160 --> 00:10:29.160 The restoration of His glory comes from Him. 00:10:29.160 --> 00:10:30.680 And we are at His mercy. 00:10:30.680 --> 00:10:31.680 We can't do it. 00:10:31.680 --> 00:10:32.680 It's down to Him. 00:10:32.680 --> 00:10:39.920 And so we plead and we lament with the saints restore us. 00:10:39.920 --> 00:10:40.920 Revive us again. 00:10:40.920 --> 00:10:44.480 Renew us again. 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:48.440 So that we might rejoice in you. 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:53.440 Show us your salvation. 00:10:53.440 --> 00:11:04.000 The second thing I want us to look at is the psalmist's response. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:10.080 He says, I will listen to what God the Lord says. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:16.160 The signs of restoration, despite the fact that He knows that restoration comes from 00:11:16.160 --> 00:11:24.000 God alone, the signs of restoration come from God's people first, comes from the church 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:25.960 being restored. 00:11:25.960 --> 00:11:30.560 After lamenting about the state that God's people find themselves in, the psalmist sings 00:11:30.560 --> 00:11:36.440 of how God works in their hearts to bring about His glory in the land. 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:41.680 When you look with me in our translation, it says, let me hear, this is the psalmist 00:11:41.680 --> 00:11:46.320 speaking, let me hear what God the Lord will speak. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:50.280 I like the version we had in the psalm and it's the same in the NIV. 00:11:50.280 --> 00:11:54.480 I will listen to what God the Lord says. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.240 I will listen to what God the Lord says. 00:11:57.240 --> 00:12:01.720 He will speak peace to His people, to His saints, but let them not turn to foley. 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:09.000 Surely, surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:10.720 our land. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.879 You see what the psalmist is singing? 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:20.160 God speaks, he promises peace to His people and when those promises are listened to and 00:12:20.160 --> 00:12:26.960 believed in by His people, that God promises peace and reconciliation to the faithful. 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:36.200 When He's taken out His word, that is a demonstration that He's there and that He's at work in them. 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:38.840 Then surely the psalmist sings. 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:44.840 Surely if that's what's seen and believed in the people, if it's witnessed in the community 00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:47.879 of the saints, then surely salvation is near. 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:52.000 Surely the glory is dwelling with them in a different kind of a way. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:53.639 Surely that's true. 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:59.080 But what we see here is the psalmist realizes something, that the physical presence of the 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:05.559 glory of God may not have returned, but nevertheless they believe His promises. 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:07.319 Listen to what he says. 00:13:07.319 --> 00:13:13.159 Take Him out His word and live in accordance with it. 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:17.519 Because God is glorified when the people of God respond to the Word of God with repentance 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:21.100 and faith, believing in His promises. 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:26.639 When God's people, when we can stand and we can sing like we have done, I will listen 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:29.639 to what God the Lord says. 00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:30.800 I will listen. 00:13:30.800 --> 00:13:35.360 I will listen to what God the Lord says. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:40.480 Just recently we've had some renovations done in the house that we've been living at. 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:45.160 We had to move out for a little bit and these guys, the great guys, but they were kind of 00:13:45.160 --> 00:13:46.879 old school laborers. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:51.159 They didn't do contracts when sorting out the job. 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:54.919 I don't know if you've ever dealt with anything like that, but maybe that would make you a 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:56.799 little bit nervous. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:00.080 They didn't do contracts, they just gave their word. 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:06.600 In today's world, like I say, but in an older world, if somebody gave their word, that was 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:09.439 as good as binding. 00:14:09.439 --> 00:14:11.440 This is what God wants us to do. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:15.200 It's what the psalmist chooses to do. 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:20.560 I will listen to what God the Lord says. 00:14:20.560 --> 00:14:27.280 Like Israel looked at the restoration effort, they would have been tempted to feel discouraged. 00:14:27.280 --> 00:14:32.960 There is temptation for us to look at God's word and are we tempted to take Him at His 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:35.120 word or not? 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:38.440 We might, as I say, look at Scotland and feel the same way. 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:39.640 We live in a different time. 00:14:39.640 --> 00:14:40.720 The culture has changed. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:41.920 What's God doing? 00:14:41.920 --> 00:14:43.480 Why has this happened? 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:48.960 Why is there some churches that have drifted and tried to fit in with the culture, sacrificed 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:49.960 the gospel? 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:56.000 We don't have all the answers, but despite that all being true, will we say together, 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:58.680 I will listen to what the Lord says. 00:14:58.680 --> 00:15:03.120 I will take Him at His word, I will trust and believe in Him and live according to His 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:08.159 word. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:12.360 If you're here this evening and the things of Christianity are perhaps new to you or 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:17.639 you're looking into the claims that Jesus made, that the church makes about Jesus, this 00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:18.879 is what we believe. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:23.360 We believe that when God makes promises, He keeps them. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:27.240 And that He has promised to all people, no matter what background or what people have 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:33.320 done, if they turn to Him, if you ask Jesus, if you turn to Him and ask Him to come into 00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:37.840 your life to help you, to save you, then the God who made you will promise, will give you 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:42.120 a future of hope, of peace, of reconciliation, of forgiveness. 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:45.320 Will give you a purpose in your life when it feels empty. 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:48.759 He'll accept you unconditionally to love you. 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:53.159 Imagine that with no conditions attached. 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.200 There's no hidden small print. 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.080 It does sound too good to be true, but there's no catch. 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:05.960 He'll accept you as you are and then change you day by day to be the best, most holy version 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:08.799 of you. 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:16.599 The gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ are His promises to you, to us, that are enacted 00:16:16.599 --> 00:16:21.559 and brought into fulfillment through His life, death and resurrection. 00:16:21.559 --> 00:16:23.919 Because He died to take away your guilt and shame. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:27.599 Your guilt and your shame died with Him and then He was raised to new life to destroy 00:16:27.599 --> 00:16:29.599 sin, death and all evil. 00:16:29.599 --> 00:16:32.839 And He will never go back on His promises. 00:16:32.839 --> 00:16:38.079 We take Him at His word. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:41.400 We take Him at His word. 00:16:41.400 --> 00:16:43.560 Which brings us to the last bit of the psalm. 00:16:43.560 --> 00:16:46.480 This last bit of the psalm is amazing. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:53.639 We get this amazing picture of God in the last few verses. 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:57.200 Love and righteousness meet together. 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:04.720 Now, there's something here that we see that is unique about God in who He is. 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:08.600 It's something that you know the person is like. 00:17:08.600 --> 00:17:16.120 As people, we're only able to show one characteristic, one emotional response or attribute at a time. 00:17:16.120 --> 00:17:18.519 That's because we change. 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.920 And we change when our circumstances change. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:22.920 You know what it's like. 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:26.120 If someone cuts you up on the road, you get angry. 00:17:26.120 --> 00:17:33.880 Now, if you're normally kind of a relaxed, peaceful kind of guy, in that moment when 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:38.920 someone does that to you on the road, you are anything but relaxed and peaceful. 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:43.200 We can't be those two things at the same time. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:48.120 Our emotional responses, how we feel, they change in line with our circumstances and 00:17:48.120 --> 00:17:51.200 it affects how we respond. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:52.440 I don't know about you. 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:56.920 Maybe this is just me, but I feel like I change 10 times in an hour. 00:17:56.920 --> 00:18:03.280 Angry, happy, worried, sad and with each emotion, with each feeling, we change. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:09.160 But in these few verses, we get a picture of God that reminds us that He is unchanging, 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:11.559 that circumstances do not alter Him. 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:12.559 He's not up or down. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.960 He doesn't feel low. 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:19.480 He doesn't actually respond to anything based on His emotions. 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:21.639 He's always the same. 00:18:21.639 --> 00:18:25.480 And He is always consistent with who He is. 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:30.359 We see it, we see it poetically with how the psalmist describes His character traits and 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:34.559 His intervention into the world, look with me. 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:38.799 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet. 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:42.839 Righteousness and peace kiss each other. 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:50.199 Faithfulness springs up from the ground and righteousness looks down from the sky. 00:18:50.199 --> 00:18:54.719 There are not two sides of God, like an angry and a happy side. 00:18:54.719 --> 00:18:59.839 But who He is is woven together with all His attributes, His character traits. 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:07.279 If you like singing in perfect union within Himself, they're not odds. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:13.639 The reason the psalmist moves to this poetic description of God, because this is the reason 00:19:13.639 --> 00:19:16.119 we can trust His promises. 00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:20.359 This is the reason it's because of who He is. 00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:26.159 It's because of His character that He doesn't change, that He will always be faithful to 00:19:26.159 --> 00:19:27.720 His promises because He makes a promise. 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:29.359 He doesn't change His mind and go back on it. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:37.240 It's because of who He is that we can trust His promises. 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:41.439 The real issue in our hearts, the real issue in our hearts is that there is no one else 00:19:41.439 --> 00:19:43.919 like this. 00:19:43.919 --> 00:19:49.359 People will let you down and will let other people down because we change and circumstances 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:50.359 change us. 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:56.000 There are times when we react unexpectedly or we go back on our word. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:00.440 Once this is who our God is, His character that doesn't change, we can take Him at His 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:01.440 word. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:05.319 We can take Him at His word. 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:10.440 The psalmist is declaring in song, whether God's visible glory is here or not, God will 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:12.480 always act according to who He is. 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:17.960 He will always be full of peace, of love, of righteous anger, of faithfulness, of mercy, 00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:22.039 and grace, and all at the same time His promises will remain. 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:24.039 He doesn't change. 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:30.559 And ultimately, where do we see this played out? 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:37.799 For us as New Testament believers, God being faithful to His promises, hearing their prayer 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:43.039 and answering it by sending His own Son, Jesus Christ. 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:46.200 This is actually how this prayer is truly answered. 00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:49.119 Do you see how beautiful it makes this psalm? 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:54.679 It makes this psalm stunningly beautiful because the people want the glory to return 00:20:54.679 --> 00:20:57.559 and they pray for it. 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:01.799 And then 400 years later it's answered. 00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:06.559 The glory returns to the land, but in a way they didn't expect because the glory of God 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:10.039 comes down in a person. 00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:12.519 He's the missing glory. 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:15.319 He is the temple. 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:18.519 John 1.14, the word that's Jesus. 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:21.200 The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:26.000 We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father full 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.759 of grace and truth. 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:29.920 That prayer really is answered. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:36.000 The glory really does dwell in the land once again in the person of God's Son. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.680 When God's people say together when they ask Him, shows Your steadfast love, Lord, grant 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:41.799 us Your salvation. 00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:43.440 He shows them His steadfast love. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:47.119 He sends His Son to die in their place. 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:51.239 Prayer love has no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friends. 00:21:51.239 --> 00:21:52.239 Show us Your love, Lord. 00:21:52.239 --> 00:21:53.239 Show us Your glory, Lord. 00:21:53.239 --> 00:21:57.679 Here's my Son purchasing Your freedom. 00:21:57.679 --> 00:22:05.399 And all the qualities in this psalm we see in Him because Jesus is full of love, of peace, 00:22:05.399 --> 00:22:10.239 of righteous anger, of faithfulness, of mercy and grace, all at the same time His promises 00:22:10.239 --> 00:22:12.799 remain. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:19.720 Be as follows of Jesus, sing this song, knowing that the answer to be restored to true renewal 00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:25.839 and revival of our own souls and of the church in Scotland and globally, it comes from this 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:30.440 man who came down from Jesus Christ and taking Him at His word. 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:36.079 And we can take Him at His word today because He kept it. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:40.879 Verse 12, the Lord will give what is good. 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:46.680 This is what Jesus offers. 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:47.680 This is what Jesus offers. 00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:53.360 He not only wants to restore the church, but He wants to revive and restore us as part 00:22:53.360 --> 00:22:55.120 of that. 00:22:55.120 --> 00:22:58.520 Not the glory days, to the good old days of your past. 00:22:58.520 --> 00:23:05.920 He wants to give you something better, the glory that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:13.080 To give you new life, new life connected to Him to take away your mess so that you receive 00:23:13.080 --> 00:23:19.279 from Him by being united to Him purpose, direction and fulfillment, peace, joy and hopes in the 00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:20.920 middle of your struggles. 00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:26.120 This is what the living God promises to each one of us to be restored, truly restored and 00:23:26.120 --> 00:23:31.640 revived in Him if we take Him at His word. 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:39.360 And so as we come in for landing, let this psalm, the song, be your song and your prayer. 00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:43.200 Do we long, do you long for the church to be revived and restored? 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.880 We'll take Jesus at His word that He keeps His promises that He'll build His church. 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:50.920 Do we long to be revived and restored? 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:54.400 Will we say together, I will listen. 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:57.920 I will listen to what the Lord says. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:01.800 I will look at the person of His Son to see the true glory. 00:24:01.800 --> 00:24:07.920 Let me pray. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:18.440 Almighty God, we praise You and we thank You for Your Son. 00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:22.600 We thank You for all that You have done and we thank You that You are the true glory. 00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:28.240 We thank You for how, it is amazing how this prayer was answered that Your glory and the 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.519 person of His Son did dwell in the land. 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:39.839 And so we pray that You would revive and restore us both personally, corporately and 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:40.839 the church in our land. 00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:46.599 We long for that and we want to take, we want you to be at work in our hearts so that we 00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:49.359 do take you at Your word. 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:54.919 We thank You that we can trust in Your promises because of who You are, because of Your covenant 00:24:54.919 --> 00:24:59.919 love, Your steadfast love that never goes away, that doesn't spoil, perish or fade the 00:24:59.919 --> 00:25:01.599 inheritance that You've promised us. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:07.959 We give You great thanks and for knowing that that is true for us, that great promise that 00:25:07.959 --> 00:25:09.479 You've given to each one of us. 00:25:09.479 --> 00:25:13.279 And so bless us and restore us, we pray. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:15.399 We ask for this in Jesus' name. 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:22.400 Amen.