WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.060 our father thank you that you are the living and speaking god thank you that you reveal yourself 00:00:08.060 --> 00:00:13.339 to us we can know you and we can know you through the words that you've given us please would you 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:18.100 speak to us speak as florence reads would these words go deep into our hearts and then help me 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:23.379 to explain them and would you be speaking to each of us what we need to hear from your 00:00:23.379 --> 00:00:29.519 word from your life-giving truth by your spirit in jesus name we pray amen 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:44.700 so today's reading is from psalm 89 we read a mascal of ethan the ezraite 00:00:44.700 --> 00:00:53.320 i will sing of the steadfast love of the lord forever with my mouth i will make no 00:00:53.320 --> 00:01:02.140 your faithfulness to all generations for i said steadfast love will build up forever 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:06.400 in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:15.620 you have said i have made a covenant with my chosen one i have sworn to david my servant 00:01:15.620 --> 00:01:23.500 i will establish your offspring forever and build your throne to all generations 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:32.540 let the heavens praise your wonders oh lord your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:37.360 for who in the sky can be compared to the lord 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:46.920 who among the heavenly beings is like the lord a god greatly to be feared in the council of the holy 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:57.159 ones and awesome above all who are around him oh lord god of hosts who is mighty as you are oh lord 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:06.140 with your faithfulness all around you you rule the raging of the sea when its waves rise 00:02:06.140 --> 00:02:16.680 you still them you crushed rahab like a carcass you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:29.039 the heavens are yours the earth is also yours the world and all that is in it you have founded them 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:41.099 and the north and the south you have created them tabor and herman joyously praise your name 00:02:41.099 --> 00:02:48.039 you have a mighty army strong in your hand high in your right hand 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:53.479 righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne 00:02:53.479 --> 00:03:02.280 steadfast love and faithfulness go before you blessed are the people who know the festal child 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:11.979 who walk oh lord in the light of your face who exalt in your name all day and in your righteousness are 00:03:11.979 --> 00:03:12.560 exalted 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:21.500 for you are the glory of their strength by your favor or our horn is exalted 00:03:21.500 --> 00:03:29.560 for our shield belongs to the lord our king to the holy one of israel 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:38.020 of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one and said 00:03:38.020 --> 00:03:46.020 i have granted help to the one who is mighty i have exalted one chosen from the people 00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:57.920 i have found david my servant with my holy oil i have anointed him so that my hand shall be established 00:03:57.920 --> 00:04:07.700 with him my arm also shall strengthen him the enemy shall not outwit him the wicked shall not 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:15.419 humble him i will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him 00:04:15.419 --> 00:04:27.339 my faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him and in my name shall his horn be exalted 00:04:27.339 --> 00:04:34.119 i will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the river 00:04:34.119 --> 00:04:42.359 he shall cry to me you are my father my god and the rock of my salvation 00:04:42.359 --> 00:04:48.120 and i will make him the firstborn of the highest of the kings of the earth 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:58.540 my steadfast love i will keep for him forever and my covenant will stand for firm for him 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:05.000 i will establish his offsprings forever and his throne as the days of the heavens 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:14.139 if his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules if they violate my statutes 00:05:14.139 --> 00:05:22.819 and do not keep my commands then i will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity 00:05:22.819 --> 00:05:33.599 with stripes but i will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness 00:05:33.599 --> 00:05:40.319 i will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth with my lips 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:51.379 once for all i have sworn by my holiness i will not lie to david his offspring shall endure forever 00:05:51.379 --> 00:06:00.420 his throne as long as the sun before me like the moon it shall be established forever 00:06:00.420 --> 00:06:07.659 a faithfulness sorry a faithful witness in the skies this is the word of god 00:06:07.660 --> 00:06:27.420 thank you florence for reading a long psalm but uh yeah about god's covenant with david but we've 00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:33.140 been doing a series on the psalms we've been looking at the character of god and of course there's so much 00:06:33.139 --> 00:06:39.959 about god that we can explore right god is so big there's so much that we could think about um but 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:44.539 do you have you ever wondered is there anything that's kind of like stands out that is really this 00:06:44.539 --> 00:06:51.860 is really what god's heart is like what uh should we from our perspective it's like so important and 00:06:51.860 --> 00:06:56.079 it's a bit slightly tricky question of course you know what god is like everything is important 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:01.139 you know everything is essential anything but anything that stands out well one key candidate 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:06.979 is what we've been singing about and as you've heard in the reading is god's well his steadfast 00:07:06.979 --> 00:07:14.339 love and faithfulness one time in the book of exodus moses asks god god show me your glory 00:07:14.339 --> 00:07:22.180 show me what god what you are like and what did god tell him well exodus 34 verse 6 it's on the screen 00:07:22.180 --> 00:07:31.079 the lord passed before him and proclaimed the lord the lord a god merciful and gracious slow to anger 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:38.359 and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness he didn't talk about his power didn't talk about 00:07:38.359 --> 00:07:44.019 his omnipresence didn't talk about his wisdom he told what you need to know about me is his grace 00:07:44.019 --> 00:07:51.439 his mercy his well his steadfast love and faithfulness those two are related is that he keeps his promises 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:58.079 steadfast love is a covenant commitment you know a covenant it is not just any promise it's like a 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:04.879 marriage right a formal commitment to someone where you say i do i'll be committed to you and that's 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:13.360 that steadfast love that loving covenant commitment god says that's who i am now why do the people need 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:19.180 to hear that why do we need to hear that i guess everyone knows god is big everyone knows god is powerful 00:08:19.180 --> 00:08:26.039 did you know god is gracious did you know god is committed to you and isn't that what we need i mean if i 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:34.080 look at myself one thing i know i'm a sinner right i know that i'm weak and i know i'm gonna let god 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:40.840 down what i need to know is that he doesn't let me down right and so yeah god's steadfast love and 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:48.620 faithfulness are are celebrated throughout the bible and this psalm psalm 89 well you can hear what it's 00:08:48.620 --> 00:08:55.039 about right let me read verses one and two again i will sing of the steadfast love of the lord forever 00:08:55.039 --> 00:09:01.639 with my mouth i will make known your faithfulness to all generations for i said steadfast love will 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:07.339 be built up forever in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness and all through the psalm you can 00:09:07.339 --> 00:09:15.679 keep hearing it steadfast love faithfulness this is who god is but faithful to do what well it's a 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:21.419 covenant commitment so and there needs to be a covenant and so yeah it's as you've heard this psalm is about a 00:09:21.419 --> 00:09:28.120 covenant made which covenant which agreement i mean last week we talked a bit about a covenant but that 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:35.039 was between god and the people but as you've heard this is different this is between god and david verse 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:44.019 three you have said i have made a covenant with my chosen one i have sworn to david my servant i will 00:09:44.019 --> 00:09:52.240 establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations and he promised to david 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:59.220 that yeah your your descendants your throne your kingdom will be forever now a few weeks ago if you 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:03.980 were here we looked at psalm 2 and we looked at the same promise it's this is one of those key passages 00:10:03.980 --> 00:10:11.419 in the bible so let's uh let's have it up again this is what god promised to david to samuel 7 00:10:11.419 --> 00:10:18.819 the people of israel they had struggles they had hundreds of years of difficulty with enemies 00:10:18.819 --> 00:10:24.279 and then they finally had a good king david and what did he promise what god promised to david verse 12 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:31.719 when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers i will raise up your offspring after you 00:10:31.719 --> 00:10:39.379 who shall come from your body and i will establish his kingdom he shall build a house for my name and i will 00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:45.700 establish the throne of his kingdom forever i will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son 00:10:45.700 --> 00:10:51.899 when he commits iniquity i will discipline him with the rod of men with the stripes of the sons of men 00:10:51.899 --> 00:10:59.720 but my steadfast love will not depart from him as i took it from soul whom i put away from before you 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:05.759 and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne will be established 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:12.919 forever you heard it right your throne will be forever one of your descendants will be king and 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:19.159 he will rule forever and so there will be peace forever there will be justice forever because david 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:25.100 was he was the greatest king israel had when when he ruled everything was good and because he was such 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:30.580 a great warrior you know all their enemies were under control and so the people had peace and the people 00:11:30.580 --> 00:11:38.580 had everything wonderful and now god promises well that's gonna last forever one day david one of your 00:11:38.580 --> 00:11:47.759 descendants he will be my son and he will reign forever and so in psalm 89 basically what this promise 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:54.940 is just a meditation on that and and a great praise of god for this incredible promise that was the great 00:11:54.940 --> 00:12:00.200 hope for the people of course it's not just about his faithfulness there's got strength as well right 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:07.840 like in some back in psalm 89 verse 8 oh lord god of hosts who is mighty as you are oh lord with your 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:13.980 faithfulness all around you verse 13 you have a mighty arm strong as your hand i mean god needs to be 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:19.220 powerful it's no point making promises if you can't keep them god needs to be powerful and he is 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:27.640 but most of it yeah is about this this covenant about the reign of the king right verse 22 the enemy 00:12:27.639 --> 00:12:34.480 shall not outwit him the wicked shall not humble him i will crush his foes before him and strike down 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:40.519 those who hate him verse 25 i will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers i'll make 00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:45.759 him the firstborn the highest of the kings of the earth and here is the king and god will be with him 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:52.240 and no one will defeat him and he will rule over the whole middle east and and everything will be 00:12:52.240 --> 00:13:00.460 wonderful and and that's great but the thing is uh will it last it's always the problem right good 00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:06.299 things may not last right maybe you've had a summer holiday and now uh monday you go back to school and 00:13:06.299 --> 00:13:12.120 that's not great uh that's for our kids or friendships that don't last but no this promise as well it will 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:18.799 last and last and last right you heard the permanence verse 28 my steadfast love i will keep for him 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:25.919 forever and my covenant will stand firm for him i will establish his offspring forever and his throne 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:33.539 as the days of the heavens 36 his offspring shall endure forever his throne as long as the sun before 00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:41.519 me forever forever like the sun right every single day that the earth has existed the sun has risen 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:46.240 every single day right there's no doubt that the sun ever wouldn't rise the sun is always there 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:52.919 and just as committed says god this promise this promise that god will be with this king 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:59.740 and what if he sins of course sin is the big problem right what if he rebels well verse 30 00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:07.399 if he if his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules if they violate my statutes 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:12.299 and do not keep my commandments then i will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity 00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:20.979 with stripes but i will not remove verse 33 from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness 00:14:20.979 --> 00:14:28.199 i will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips once for all i have sworn 00:14:28.199 --> 00:14:36.159 by my holiness i will not lie to david his offspring shall endure forever you can hear the commitment 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:41.219 i will not remove my commitment i will not remove my commitment whatever happens i will be faithful i will 00:14:41.219 --> 00:14:48.419 do this you know you heard the negatives right i will not be false i will not violate my covenant i will 00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:55.819 not lie to david once for all i i have sworn by my holiness if i don't do this then i'm no longer holy 00:14:55.819 --> 00:15:02.319 right that's basically what god is saying this is how committed he is so no wonder this is the people's 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:08.520 hope right no wonder everyone was waiting for the son of david for the for this king this is how they 00:15:08.520 --> 00:15:15.980 felt right they felt secure in god's faithfulness they had the davidic kings they israel had the king 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:22.320 from the line of david and god was with him and so everything would be okay they had rest in this king 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:28.780 they had peace in this king they had justice in this king everything they want even if some of the 00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:35.799 kings weren't that good god was committed to the king and they would be blessed and for for hundreds 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:42.039 of years they could see that in history yeah saul was the first king and when he sinned he got rejected 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:49.079 and his family too but david when he sinned god remained committed right there was a coup but it failed and 00:15:49.079 --> 00:15:57.779 david remained on the throne and then solomon his son started good ended really badly the people rebelled 00:15:57.779 --> 00:16:04.919 but god protected the kingdom right most of the tribes rebelled but some of them stayed and jerusalem 00:16:04.919 --> 00:16:13.579 stayed and the temple stayed and the davidic line stayed uh 200 years later the assyrian empire came 00:16:13.579 --> 00:16:19.939 and all those rebellious tribes were destroyed and they destroyed a lot of judah but jerusalem did not 00:16:19.939 --> 00:16:27.360 fall god protected jerusalem it stayed right because god was committed there was a good king hezekiah 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:32.659 you know there were terrible kings in history ahaz manasseh but god always kept his promise 00:16:32.659 --> 00:16:39.740 odds of ups and downs but jerusalem never fell because of god's steadfast love and faithfulness 00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:46.419 isn't this wonderful can you can't you imagine even the psalmist just you know let the heavens praise 00:16:46.419 --> 00:16:52.019 your wonders you're so wonderful you're so faithful right god that is what this psalm is about 00:16:52.019 --> 00:17:00.259 except how did even feel in 587 bc 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:09.519 because the thing is if you read on in the bible david's kingdom did end josiah was the last great 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:14.900 king and he brought revival but after josiah came the babylonian empire and they were big 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:22.700 they were powerful and they took over the middle east and they came to jerusalem and they took away 00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:27.420 the king and they took away the upper class and the middle class and the silver and the gold and 00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:34.980 sent them all into exile and they installed a puppet king uh zedekiah and after a few years he rebelled 00:17:34.980 --> 00:17:40.920 and then the babylonians yeah they sent their whole army and they besieged jerusalem for three years 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:49.779 it was a horrific siege they ran out of food they ran out of water it was terrible now the king tried to escape 00:17:49.779 --> 00:17:56.980 he tried to run away but he was captured and what did they do with the king well first they made him watch 00:17:56.980 --> 00:18:03.700 as uh all his sons were killed it's like the end of the family line right no more sons no more descendants 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:09.319 and then they well they gouged out his eyes and they took him as a slave to babylon 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:14.519 and that was the king and what did the babylonians then do well they destroyed the city 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:20.819 they burned the temple and they took all the people away into exile to babylon 00:18:20.819 --> 00:18:31.360 what has happened right no capital no temple no reign of david no house of david no family of david 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:39.539 the kingdom that would last forever was gone how does it feel to have your only hope taken away 00:18:39.539 --> 00:18:48.199 well let's read the rest of psalm 89 because we didn't read all of it here is how even felt verse 38 onwards 00:18:48.199 --> 00:18:57.319 but now you have cast off and rejected you are full of wrath against your anointed you have renounced 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:03.359 the covenant with your servant you have defiled his crown in the dust you have breached all his walls 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:09.720 you have laid his strongholds in ruins all who pass by plunder him he has become the scorn of his 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:16.039 neighbors you have exalted the right hand of his foes you have made all his enemies rejoice you have 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:22.200 also turned back the edge of his sword and you have not made him stand in battle you have made his 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:27.480 splendor to seize and cast his throne to the ground you've cut short the days of his youth you've covered 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:35.039 him with shame how long oh lord will you hide yourself forever how long will your wrath burn like 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:42.460 fire remember how short my time is for what vanity have you created all the children of man what man can 00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:49.640 live and never see death who can deliver his soul from the power of shale lord where is your steadfast 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:56.560 love of old which by your faithfulness you swore to david remember oh lord how your servants are 00:19:56.560 --> 00:20:03.620 mocked and how i bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations with which your enemies mock oh lord 00:20:03.620 --> 00:20:06.340 with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed 00:20:06.340 --> 00:20:17.660 and you can hear his emotion right lord what happened where is your steadfast love what happens 00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:25.900 from his perspective or the covenant is is broken right verse 39 you have renounced the covenant with 00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:31.420 your servant servant yeah he doesn't blame the babylonians it's not that they were too strong for 00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:38.779 god no you right you have cast down his crown you've rejected him you've preached his walls you have 00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:46.920 laid him low you've exalted his enemies you you right he just feels betrayed how long oh lord how long 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:54.200 will you be angry i'm going to die soon is this it where is your love right here is your king being 00:20:54.200 --> 00:21:00.660 taken away as a slave all his sons dead the city destroyed right you heard it the walls breached and 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:08.300 plundering lord what happened i'm sure you can emphasize right and this is their great hope 00:21:08.299 --> 00:21:13.859 and it was taken away the thing they built their whole life on taken away 00:21:13.859 --> 00:21:21.180 i think it's so fascinating that this is in the psalms right the psalms you think this is all happy 00:21:21.180 --> 00:21:28.279 praise songs and it's not here is someone who just thinks god has been unfaithful who thinks it was 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:35.419 he doubts everything and that is here in the psalms and clearly god is not embarrassed by that question 00:21:35.420 --> 00:21:41.480 that's why he gave us this book feels a bit like job right we just did a series in job and job just 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:48.980 didn't understand what was happening why he uh why he suffered but for him it was just that god was 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:54.200 bigger than he falls this one is is even worse right it's not that he doesn't understand god it's just 00:21:54.200 --> 00:22:00.519 that god is he thinks unfaithful to his promises right god i know what you've promised and you haven't 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:09.700 kept it lord such a painful feeling maybe have you ever felt like that have you ever felt that's 00:22:09.700 --> 00:22:16.700 kind of you know you put all your hope in the lord and god didn't do it and you felt like he lied to you 00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:24.940 maybe there was this job that you really needed and you didn't get it or maybe you lost a loved one 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:34.460 maybe even now you're going through some crisis and you wonder god where is your love can i still 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:41.860 trust you that's the question here right god says he is faithful what if it doesn't look like that at all 00:22:41.860 --> 00:22:44.759 what if it looks like no one can trust him 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:52.580 i guess we want to know the answer and i'm sure you know the answer right i'm sure you know god is 00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:58.419 faithful but the answer is not here in the psalm we need to read on in the bible we need to read on 00:22:58.419 --> 00:23:07.439 in the psalms now we as we read on we'll discover yeah of course god kept his covenant covenant kept 00:23:07.439 --> 00:23:16.539 now what was the problem why was even wrong why was even so despairing i can think of three things that 00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:22.619 we can think about first of all i think he misunderstood god's promise he misunderstood 00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:30.019 god's promise because you know solomon wasn't that king he thought you know david's descendants and 00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:36.759 from then on it will be great and surely that's solomon right his son god never said it was solomon 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:42.599 will be one of your descendants it could have been a long time later right in some sense he should 00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:48.299 have read the small print he was just too eager you know it must have been solomon everything must be 00:23:48.299 --> 00:23:57.179 right no no it could be a long time later he misunderstood god's promise and also you know he 00:23:57.179 --> 00:24:05.179 couldn't see what god was doing second because david's family wasn't wiped out yes zedekiah and his sons 00:24:05.179 --> 00:24:12.519 were gone actually the previous king was still alive the previous king you know he became king at age 18 he 00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:20.240 was just a teenager when babylon came he surrendered he was taken to exile but because he surrendered he was 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:26.539 treated well and he was in babylon and he got married and he got kids and the royal family was still there 00:24:26.539 --> 00:24:33.619 they were not in power but they were alive you know even just couldn't see what god was doing 00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:41.539 but god was doing something but i think underlying everything underlying that actually 00:24:41.539 --> 00:24:49.519 it's not what they expected they didn't realize the scope of god's plan they didn't realize how big god's 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:55.519 plan was they kind of thought you know david and solomon are good enough we just need a good king who can 00:24:55.519 --> 00:25:01.459 defeat our enemies they didn't realize what they really needed what they needed was a king who could deal 00:25:01.460 --> 00:25:08.440 with their sin that's why they went into exile because they were sinners facing judgment sin is 00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:13.180 our rebellion it is the big problem it's why the world is a mess it's why everything is wrong 00:25:13.180 --> 00:25:18.460 that is what need dealing with and as you read on in the psalms god says no you don't need an ordinary 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:24.880 king you need a king who is also a priest a king who can deal with your sin a king who doesn't have his 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:31.300 own sin a king who can die in your place that is what you need and they just didn't get that 00:25:31.300 --> 00:25:38.300 that is what god had to teach them that is what they had to meditate on but god knew what they needed 00:25:38.300 --> 00:25:45.960 and was god faithful did he send a descendant yeah of course right 600 years later from that family of 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:51.440 that exiled king there was a carpenter named joseph and he was engaged to a virgin called mary 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:57.400 and she was pregnant with child from the holy spirit it's christmas right i mean just listen 00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:04.160 to what the angel said to mary and you can hear the echoes right luke chapter one you will conceive 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:09.759 in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name jesus he will be great and will be called the 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:14.980 son of the most high and the lord god will give him the throne of his father david and he will reign 00:26:14.980 --> 00:26:20.600 over the house of jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end you can hear it right the promise 00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:24.399 that david fulfills right now right in this baby 00:26:24.399 --> 00:26:30.319 is that right did jesus fulfill all god's promises 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:38.579 it's it's complicated right because what happened actually it was still more complicated because 00:26:38.579 --> 00:26:43.839 jesus yeah he did all the miracles clearly he was god's king and then they went to jerusalem 00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:52.259 and did he start reigning as king no what happened to jesus he got arrested and crucified and you can 00:26:52.259 --> 00:26:59.039 imagine the disciples they're again confused lord what's this you know here's your king and they could 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:05.480 almost sing psalm 89 again lord you are full of wrath against your anointed you know he's become the 00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:11.099 scorn of his neighbors and you've made all his enemies rejoice you've covered him with shame right 00:27:11.099 --> 00:27:17.779 here's your king and he's hanging on the cross what's happening well he didn't they didn't 00:27:17.779 --> 00:27:25.059 understand it was in their place zedekiah died for his own sin but jesus he died for our sin he died 00:27:25.059 --> 00:27:32.240 to take the punishment that we deserve but then three days later he rose from the dead and defeated death 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:38.299 never to die again and he will rule over the whole world forever right all god's promise is fulfilled 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:45.259 still not what happens jesus rises from the dead okay lord are you now going to restore the kingdom 00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:54.639 of israel no jesus went to heaven right can you see how complicated god's plan is you know jesus comes 00:27:54.639 --> 00:28:00.180 but then he dies and then he rises when he goes away and in one day finally two you know two thousand 00:28:00.180 --> 00:28:06.940 years and counting one day he will come back and then it will be fulfilled then he will reign over the 00:28:06.940 --> 00:28:12.559 whole world forever and then there will be world peace and then there will be an end to death and 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:18.360 then there will be an end to suffering right god's plan takes just so much longer than we think it's 00:28:18.360 --> 00:28:23.400 so much more complicated than we think we don't think about that right we just think god's plan is easy 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:30.160 it isn't but he is faithful he sent the king and he died for our sins and he rose from the dead and 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:36.420 he's reigning in heaven and he will come back and god will not be false he will not lie he will keep his 00:28:36.420 --> 00:28:41.920 promise all the psalm 89 is all true and we can keep going 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:49.039 but i don't want to just kind of now celebrate that because this psalm is so depressing right 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:56.400 this is a really depressing psalm so what do we do if we feel like even if we know this that actually 00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:04.420 you know god's plan is just it's longer it's more complicated what how about us what if we feel like 00:29:04.420 --> 00:29:10.000 god is not keeping his promise or what if we feel like this in the future right most of us we're 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:17.100 young and we're happy and everything's okay what if in the future things are hard well let's look at 00:29:17.100 --> 00:29:24.300 those same three problems you know some of us maybe we are struggling because we misunderstand god's 00:29:24.300 --> 00:29:31.820 promises maybe there are things that that you've been told that are just not true so maybe you're single 00:29:31.819 --> 00:29:37.259 and you really want to be married and you're going to think well god has promised that there is a 00:29:37.259 --> 00:29:44.259 spouse for me somewhere and you know why doesn't he give me that spouse i don't see god promising that 00:29:44.259 --> 00:29:49.559 you know some people will be single their whole life you know god never promises it god never promises 00:29:49.559 --> 00:29:56.059 to save all your family members that can be quite hard right it's really hard that you maybe you have 00:29:56.059 --> 00:30:01.079 elderly relatives and they don't want to believe and it doesn't god promise that your whole household 00:30:01.079 --> 00:30:08.159 will be saved now people are saved by grace your whole household can be saved if they believe but if 00:30:08.159 --> 00:30:13.519 they don't believe and then it's really hard i mean my parents don't believe i find it really hard 00:30:13.519 --> 00:30:20.139 but god hasn't promised to save every person same for children maybe you're older and your children 00:30:20.140 --> 00:30:25.580 aren't christians and you thought well god promises you know train up a child in the way they will go 00:30:25.580 --> 00:30:32.840 and when they're old they won't depart from it well that's a proverb it's what's generally true it's good 00:30:32.840 --> 00:30:39.520 to raise your children in the faith but it's not a promise god doesn't promise to save every person 00:30:39.520 --> 00:30:46.259 and and that can be hard but we we need to know what god promises and what he doesn't he doesn't 00:30:46.259 --> 00:30:53.220 promise that every you know every ministry will be successful you know maybe you're trying something 00:30:53.220 --> 00:30:59.460 for god and it doesn't work out that happens and don carson tells this story about this this couple 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:06.460 or maybe a hundred years ago they went to kenya in africa for for mission work and they you know 00:31:06.460 --> 00:31:12.779 they really went for it but there was just no fruit just no one believed there was just a local 00:31:12.779 --> 00:31:18.599 village one little boy who liked to listen to his wife but nothing happened and they had a young 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:25.660 baby girl and and then the wife got sick from some disease and she died and after years of of working 00:31:25.660 --> 00:31:30.980 and it was so hard and no fruit yeah this guy just gave up and he with his daughter he went back to 00:31:30.980 --> 00:31:41.240 the u.s and yeah he lost his faith became an alcoholic why well because he just he thought you know we go 00:31:41.240 --> 00:31:48.319 for god and and he will bless it and god didn't right it's so important that we know god's promises 00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:53.960 that we're clear that we don't have false hopes and that doesn't mean it's not hard when these things 00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:59.779 happen it is hard but at least god hasn't been unfaithful right that's why it's important 00:31:59.779 --> 00:32:02.839 to make sure we don't misunderstand god's promise 00:32:02.839 --> 00:32:07.900 then again maybe sometimes we just can't see what god is doing 00:32:07.900 --> 00:32:12.560 right maybe we just need to trust that he is doing something maybe he's at work in your family 00:32:12.560 --> 00:32:13.440 behind the scenes 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:17.259 or that story of that that missionary 00:32:17.259 --> 00:32:21.420 because you know that guy's daughter grew up 00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:27.120 went to church and you know like 20 years later there was a conference and there was 00:32:27.120 --> 00:32:31.640 someone speaking from kenya about the amazing revival happening there 00:32:31.640 --> 00:32:38.500 and you know she wanted to speak to the speaker hey uh you know that this great church leader great 00:32:38.500 --> 00:32:45.140 evangelist hey uh do you perhaps know my parents they they ministered in kenya like 30 years ago and 00:32:45.140 --> 00:32:49.460 uh but they were in this village but they you know that they didn't have much success just 00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:55.560 this little boy who listened to my my mom and i guess you know the story right the guy said 00:32:55.559 --> 00:33:03.619 but i am that little boy and god had done an amazing thing through what they did this one little boy who 00:33:03.619 --> 00:33:10.919 heard the gospel you know sometimes we just don't know what god is doing you know this guy he he heard 00:33:10.919 --> 00:33:16.240 that that that what god has done and and he broke down in tears and he repented because he just 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:23.200 you know sometimes that happens but not always we need to we need to get the balance right 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:30.180 and and sometimes yeah that third thing i think often the big problem is just we don't realize 00:33:30.180 --> 00:33:38.080 the scope of god's plan we we we confuse when god does what because the christian life is hard 00:33:38.080 --> 00:33:44.259 if you think being a christian my life is now great i'm a child of the king everything will be 00:33:44.259 --> 00:33:51.200 wonderful it's not you will still have marriage trouble you know there will still be suffering and 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:58.500 sickness because yeah jesus will come twice right he came once but he will come twice 00:33:58.500 --> 00:34:06.279 had jesus two comings we need to keep them apart i think the bible sees it as kind of two ages there's 00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:12.260 the old age of sin and death and there's there's the new age that jesus brings and he starts the new 00:34:12.260 --> 00:34:18.079 age when he first comes at the cross but the old age is still here that will only disappear when he 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:25.099 comes back and so sin is still here and death is still here and and sin and death are huge 00:34:25.099 --> 00:34:32.599 right death and decay runs through me everywhere the only way that i'm gonna stop being sick and dying 00:34:32.599 --> 00:34:37.659 is if i die and get a resurrection body that's when there'll be no more death 00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:45.900 sin sin runs so deep in our hearts and in our bodies the only way you're gonna get rid of 00:34:45.900 --> 00:34:51.980 sin the way you're gonna have a perfect you know be perfect is if god if you die and you rise again 00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:58.800 and if you know that then yeah you don't have false expectations right maybe work is really hard 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:05.780 maybe your boss is terrible and your colleagues are really annoying and your clients and you wish god 00:35:05.780 --> 00:35:12.400 please change this right would my wife have a perfect job think about what you're asking okay god can 00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:17.280 you can my boss please die and be raised from the dead and get my colleagues please die and be raised 00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:25.059 from the dead and all my clients as well and me god's not gonna do that right that's ridiculous 00:35:25.059 --> 00:35:31.360 but that's a fact if you want to get rid of sin in your workplace that is what needs to happen you all 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:39.099 need to die and rise again so we just need to wait we need to realize how you had a scope of god's plan 00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:46.059 what a big thing it is to deal with sin and deal with death yeah it's it's it seems ridiculous now 00:35:46.059 --> 00:35:53.940 although again one day it's not one day jesus will come back and we will all have a resurrection body 00:35:53.940 --> 00:35:59.000 and if you and your boss and your colleagues are christians you can work together forever in the 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:07.139 perfect workplace in the new creation right that will happen one day same for healing god can heal now 00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:16.599 he can but it was only temporary anyone he heals will still die it's only later but god promises to 00:36:16.599 --> 00:36:24.960 heal every christian from all diseases completely one day when when jesus returns when we die and have a 00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:34.199 resurrection body we just need to see beyond death i think even couldn't see that right verses uh in 00:36:34.199 --> 00:36:40.099 back in psalm 89 yeah he you remember how short my time is what man can live and never see death you 00:36:40.099 --> 00:36:46.079 know i'm gonna die i'm not gonna see it well yeah you're not gonna see it now but even would see it 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:52.819 when he would be raised from the dead then he will see the fulfillment and same for you maybe you won't 00:36:52.819 --> 00:37:00.639 see it now but you will see it later when god raises you from the dead so for now let's hold on 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:08.299 when it's hard when you can't see the fulfillment when you wonder what god is doing hold on god will 00:37:08.299 --> 00:37:15.500 keep his promises he is a god of steadfast love and faithfulness and that is his character he will not 00:37:15.500 --> 00:37:22.779 lie he will not be false he will keep every promise we need to make sure we know them that we don't have 00:37:22.779 --> 00:37:28.940 false expectation but he will keep it and he will he said he will forgive all your sins and he will 00:37:28.940 --> 00:37:34.659 and he said no one can snatch you out of his hands and he no one can and he said he will raise you from 00:37:34.659 --> 00:37:43.860 the dead and he will and so we can persevere so let's keep going let's keep trusting let's hold on to god's 00:37:43.860 --> 00:37:50.980 steadfast love and faithfulness why don't we take a minute and just think about these questions on the screen 00:37:50.980 --> 00:37:57.420 and then i will pray for you pray for us for me as well after that 00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:57.980 you 00:38:20.980 --> 00:38:27.980 you 00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:29.980 you 00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:31.980 you 00:38:31.980 --> 00:38:33.980 you 00:38:33.980 --> 00:38:35.980 you 00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:37.980 you 00:38:37.980 --> 00:38:39.980 you 00:38:39.980 --> 00:38:58.980 you 00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:00.980 you 00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:09.099 i will sing of the steadfast love of the lord forever with my mouth i will make known your faithfulness to all generations lord we 00:39:09.099 --> 00:39:16.139 thank you that you are committed to us we we are sinners we are weak but you are a god who is 00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:21.259 faithful and committed and we thank you for your love we thank you for your promises thank you that you 00:39:21.259 --> 00:39:26.460 will not lie you will not be false pray that we would hold on where each of us needs to hear 00:39:27.500 --> 00:39:32.860 hear this where each of us is struggling at the moment please speak into that and would we see your 00:39:32.860 --> 00:39:38.940 faithfulness would we hold on would we get through it no matter how hard it is because we know we can hold on 00:39:39.099 --> 00:39:45.259 to you we can hold on to your promises to your steadfast love thank you that you never change 00:39:45.259 --> 00:39:52.299 thank you that you always come through and we love you and we trust you in jesus name amen 00:39:52.300 --> 00:39:58.460 you 00:39:58.460 --> 00:40:00.460 you 00:40:00.460 --> 00:40:02.460 you 00:40:02.460 --> 00:40:04.460 you 00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:06.460 you 00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:08.460 you 00:40:08.460 --> 00:40:10.460 you 00:40:10.460 --> 00:40:12.460 you