WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.459
 there. So with these intimations then we'll begin our worship today and we're singing firstly

00:00:04.459 --> 00:00:14.880
 Psalm 145, Psalm 145, the second version of the psalm that's on page 444 and verses 1 to 7.

00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:23.559
 O Lord, thou art my God and King, thee will I magnify and praise. I will thee bless and gladly

00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:31.299
 sing unto thy holy name always. Each day I rise I will thee bless and praise thy name time without

00:00:31.299 --> 00:00:39.439
 end. Much to be praised and great God is, his greatness none can comprehend. How wonderful

00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:45.739
 it is to be reminded in this opening psalm of God's worthiness to be praised, of his greatness

00:00:45.740 --> 00:00:53.719
 and of his might and all other aspects of his being that make him worthy of our praise. So

00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:59.520
 with the worthiness of God in our minds, let's stand to sing these verses. O Lord, thou art

00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:27.240
 my God and King. O Lord, thou art my God and King, thee will I magnify and praise. I will thee bless and gladly sing.

00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:57.219
 O Lord, thou art my God and world and never say can I?

00:01:57.219 --> 00:02:10.219
 And great God is, His greatness done and of the end.

00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:28.219
 Great child, my word, great child to raise the mighty hand so done by Thee.

00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:45.219
 Thy mercy, God, and glorious grace, and honor all Thy majesty.

00:02:45.219 --> 00:03:03.219
 Thy wondrous works, I will impart, Thy end and my joy be extrobed.

00:03:03.219 --> 00:03:21.219
 O God, Thy grateful acts, O Lord, and Thy, Thy greatness will unfold.

00:03:21.219 --> 00:03:39.219
 They utter shall upon the tree the memory of Thy goodness quake.

00:03:39.219 --> 00:03:56.099
 And chants in praises cheerfully, I may Thy righteousness prevail.

00:04:01.740 --> 00:04:05.740
 Let's now call upon the Lord in prayer. Let's unite our minds in prayer.

00:04:05.740 --> 00:04:06.740
 Amen.

00:04:09.020 --> 00:04:15.840
 Almighty and gracious God, we give thanks for these great attributes that we have been singing of,

00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:21.220
 of Your greatness that comprise the beauty and the perfection of Your being.

00:04:22.139 --> 00:04:27.040
 We thank You, Lord, today that You have reminded us of Your worthiness to be praised,

00:04:27.840 --> 00:04:29.699
 that You alone are worthy of worship.

00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:33.139
 And so we gather together, Lord, today to worship You.

00:04:33.139 --> 00:04:40.759
 Help us to do so, Lord, with our hearts truly set upon the glorifying of Your name.

00:04:41.620 --> 00:04:47.259
 Help us to come before You with a true spirit of worship in our minds and hearts,

00:04:48.019 --> 00:04:51.300
 with our mind focused on those things that You have revealed in Your Word.

00:04:52.039 --> 00:04:56.439
 With our hearts, Lord, as we seek the blessing of Your Holy Spirit upon us,

00:04:57.099 --> 00:04:59.860
 our hearts quickened, our hearts revived,

00:04:59.860 --> 00:05:02.720
 and our hearts brought into tune with Your truth.

00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:07.319
 We thank You today, O Lord, that we have this opportunity,

00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:12.860
 this great privilege once again of being together to worship You as our God.

00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:17.639
 And we pray as we do so, Lord, that You would guide us into Your truth.

00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:24.459
 We thank You for the way in which we have Your own truth set out for us in written form,

00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:28.439
 and for the way that You have brought it to us in our generation,

00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.659
 with all its authority and relevance for our age,

00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:36.159
 as has been the case down through the years in the history of the world.

00:05:37.159 --> 00:05:41.439
 We thank You today, Lord, as we look back upon all that You have accomplished,

00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:48.680
 that You entered into this world in such a way as to provide for us an access to Yourself,

00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:52.279
 an access which we now use in the name of Jesus,

00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.720
 who is Himself the way, the truth, and the life.

00:05:56.759 --> 00:06:01.040
 We thank You today, Lord, that He took our human nature to Himself,

00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:10.840
 that You did so in such a way as would combine in His person the wonder of God and man combined,

00:06:11.760 --> 00:06:18.580
 and yet combined in such a way to retain the distinctness of the godhood and also of the manhood.

00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.140
 We thank You today, Lord, for the wonder of Your person,

00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:24.879
 for the beauty that pertains to You.

00:06:25.520 --> 00:06:30.660
 We pray today as we worship You that we would once again catch a glimpse of Your beauty,

00:06:31.400 --> 00:06:37.920
 for Your beauty makes us, Lord, stand in awe at Your majesty and Your perfection and Your truth.

00:06:38.780 --> 00:06:43.879
 And we come, Lord, today, and our hearts are needy that we should once again meet with You.

00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:48.879
 We pray, Lord, each of us here that You would bless us from Your Word,

00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:53.939
 that You would give to us, O Lord, as we struggle with many issues in life.

00:06:54.520 --> 00:07:00.100
 Help us, we pray, to realize Your perfection as the God and King of Your people.

00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:06.700
 We pray today, O Lord, that You would, as we seek the guidance of Your Spirit into Your Word,

00:07:07.300 --> 00:07:13.200
 we pray that You would help us, too, to retain it and to apply it in our lives in such a way, Lord,

00:07:13.260 --> 00:07:16.820
 as would reflect the beauty of Christ in us.

00:07:17.540 --> 00:07:21.640
 We ask today that Your blessing will be with all Your people wherever they gather.

00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:30.339
 We recognize, Lord, even as we are reminded in our bulletin sheet today of places in the world where people are persecuted

00:07:30.339 --> 00:07:36.000
 and even put to death for their faith, for their adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.000
 and for the way in which they are determined not to be deflected from following Him,

00:07:42.660 --> 00:07:45.100
 from honoring Him, from speaking of Him.

00:07:45.819 --> 00:07:53.240
 Lord, we pray today that Your blessing will be with all agencies that seek to uphold these persecuted Christians,

00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.879
 whether it be through the Barnabas Fund or through Steadfast Global.

00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:03.379
 We pray for all their efforts, O Lord, and we pray for all Your people in the world today

00:08:03.379 --> 00:08:06.800
 when we are able to rejoice in the freedom that we have,

00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:12.899
 the many ways in which we can gather without fear as we do here today.

00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:18.719
 Lord, we pray for these places in the world where Your people don't have these liberties

00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:21.860
 and yet where they remain faithful to You.

00:08:22.580 --> 00:08:26.460
 We ask, Lord, for them that though we don't know them or don't know,

00:08:26.960 --> 00:08:31.780
 we confess we don't know even the majority of them or their circumstances,

00:08:32.860 --> 00:08:37.440
 yet we know that they are known to You and we know that Your interest is in them

00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:41.540
 and Your concern, Lord, is to be their guide and be their stay,

00:08:42.180 --> 00:08:43.820
 be their defense and be their shield.

00:08:43.820 --> 00:08:49.020
 Lord, we thank You today for the way in which Your Word brings us in the Psalms,

00:08:49.560 --> 00:08:55.120
 so many of our human experiences that we can bring before You in praise and also in prayer.

00:08:55.940 --> 00:09:01.080
 Lord, we thank You that You have gone before us so as to give us such a manual of praise

00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:06.780
 and so as to give to us the experiences of Your people and of Your church down through the years

00:09:06.780 --> 00:09:10.000
 that are expressed through the singing of Your praise.

00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:15.159
 And we thank You today that whatever depths we may have in the challenges of life

00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:20.580
 to contend with and against, that we find them in these words of the psalmist,

00:09:21.419 --> 00:09:28.019
 as we do also the heights of rejoicing and of joy that belongs to Your people also.

00:09:28.820 --> 00:09:35.980
 Oh, Lord, today we pray that as we come once again to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world

00:09:35.980 --> 00:09:41.399
 and His achievements in His life and death and resurrection from the dead,

00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:47.379
 Lord, we pray help us to do so, confident that He now lives forevermore,

00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:50.460
 that You are alive for the benefit of Your people,

00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:54.620
 that You minister to them through Your Spirit from Your throne on high.

00:09:55.539 --> 00:09:57.620
 Remember us, Lord, today as a congregation.

00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:03.100
 Remember us in all the variety of our need as we present this before You.

00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:08.080
 We pray, Lord, that You bless each and every home represented here

00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:11.700
 and those that belong to us not able to be here today.

00:10:12.379 --> 00:10:19.360
 We pray Your blessing for us, Lord, as we come towards the end of this year in our lives.

00:10:19.540 --> 00:10:25.779
 We, Lord, reflect upon the many challenges that You have provided for us

00:10:25.779 --> 00:10:28.080
 in Your providence throughout this year.

00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:32.520
 But we thank You, Lord, for the provision of Your sustaining grace,

00:10:33.160 --> 00:10:36.020
 for the many promises that go before us in Your Word

00:10:36.020 --> 00:10:38.820
 as we come to face these issues of life.

00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:44.100
 And so we remember today, O Lord, those who come towards the end of this year

00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:48.540
 with heavy hearts, with hearts that reflect upon the passing of loved ones

00:10:48.540 --> 00:10:51.720
 who have gone from the scene of time during this year.

00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:56.020
 Remember them, O Lord, and ask that You would draw near to them.

00:10:56.019 --> 00:11:02.000
 We pray that You would comfort them, that You would give them the strength that they require

00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:05.980
 as they reflect upon those that have now gone from their midst.

00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:11.139
 Lord, we give thanks for many precious memories that You enable us to hold.

00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:15.159
 We pray that You would grant Your blessing to uplift us

00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.439
 when the gloom settles in upon our lives

00:11:18.439 --> 00:11:23.539
 and when we know, O Lord, and realize that things are other than we would have chosen

00:11:23.539 --> 00:11:24.679
 or wanted to be.

00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:29.699
 Yet, Lord, we pray that You would turn us at all times to Your wisdom

00:11:29.699 --> 00:11:33.459
 and to the way in which You have ordered and patterned our lives

00:11:33.459 --> 00:11:36.699
 according to Your knowledge and according to Your wisdom

00:11:36.699 --> 00:11:39.360
 and according to the rule of Your will.

00:11:40.179 --> 00:11:43.819
 We pray, too, for those who have lost loved ones in times gone by.

00:11:43.820 --> 00:11:51.740
 Lord, we know that this time of year is a poignant time for those who reflect upon times of bereavement

00:11:51.740 --> 00:11:56.960
 and sorrow and loss and for whom these things, Lord, are an ongoing challenge

00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:59.440
 and an ongoing reality in their lives.

00:12:00.280 --> 00:12:03.560
 Continue, Lord, to bless us, we pray, with Your truth

00:12:03.560 --> 00:12:08.360
 and continue to provide for us as we come towards the turn of another year.

00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:13.240
 We ask, too, that You'd bless those who are ill at this time of our number,

00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:18.300
 those who are receiving treatment, who are recovering from surgical procedures.

00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:22.120
 And, Lord, we ask that You'd bless them and bless their families

00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:25.320
 and bless those who mourn even in these present days.

00:12:26.060 --> 00:12:28.840
 We commit them to You also and ask that You'd bless them.

00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:31.600
 Remember our children and our young people.

00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:36.620
 Grant to them, O Lord, as they hear of the gospel and of the message of Christ

00:12:36.620 --> 00:12:39.000
 having come into this world as a saviour.

00:12:39.659 --> 00:12:42.960
 O Lord, we pray that You would sanctify their young lives.

00:12:43.700 --> 00:12:46.440
 Give them as they hear of the truth of the gospel,

00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:49.480
 that they may come more and more and day by day

00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:52.779
 to be dedicated and committed to You

00:12:52.779 --> 00:12:55.740
 and to Your ways and to walk in Your paths.

00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:57.340
 We pray for them today.

00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:00.840
 We pray for all their families and ask that You'd bless them.

00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:04.419
 We pray that You'd continue to remember us, Lord, as a people

00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:07.299
 during this time of ongoing pandemic.

00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:10.519
 Lord, we pray that You would lift this from us.

00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:15.179
 We pray that You would grant us again to be restored to times

00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:21.279
 when greater freedom will be ours in terms of being able to engage

00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.379
 in activities that we have not had for many years.

00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:28.779
 We ask, Lord, that You would bless to us these past two years of difficulty,

00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:32.379
 of trial and of affliction and of sorrow and loss.

00:13:32.379 --> 00:13:36.000
 We pray that You would grant, Lord, to go before us

00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.759
 as a new year approaches.

00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:41.419
 May it be one that is filled with the light of Your countenance,

00:13:42.179 --> 00:13:43.519
 filled with Your blessing,

00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:48.039
 filled, O Lord, with those things that would further enrich our lives.

00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:50.320
 We pray that You would enable us, Lord,

00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:53.879
 to have once again a communion, the Lord's Supper,

00:13:54.379 --> 00:13:57.039
 dispensed and partaken of in our midst as a congregation.

00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:59.899
 Lord, we ask that You would, in Your providence,

00:14:00.379 --> 00:14:04.299
 enable us to be and enable us to come once again to rejoice

00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:06.599
 in the provision that You have made

00:14:06.599 --> 00:14:10.480
 in the remembrance of the Lord's death until He come.

00:14:11.219 --> 00:14:12.620
 Hear us, Lord, we pray now,

00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:14.659
 and pardon our many sins

00:14:14.659 --> 00:14:17.299
 as we confess our sins before You.

00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.519
 We ask it all in Jesus' name.

00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:20.399
 Amen.

00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:20.579
 Amen.

00:14:20.580 --> 00:14:25.420
 Okay, now, children,

00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:27.720
 I know there's some watching online as well,

00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:30.680
 but it's good to see children back in the service today

00:14:30.680 --> 00:14:34.160
 during your time of holiday from Sunday school.

00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:37.480
 I hope you all had many presents to open.

00:14:38.280 --> 00:14:41.139
 I know that you probably received things that you'd asked for

00:14:41.139 --> 00:14:42.139
 for your Christmas.

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.320
 Maybe you received some things that you didn't ask for as well

00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:46.600
 and were very different, perhaps,

00:14:46.680 --> 00:14:48.660
 to those things that you asked for.

00:14:48.659 --> 00:14:51.799
 But it's a great thing to receive and to exchange gifts,

00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:55.279
 which we do particularly at this time of year,

00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:56.219
 at Christmastime.

00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.360
 And if you think about your gifts,

00:14:59.500 --> 00:15:03.159
 I'm sure that none of you left your gifts unwrapped.

00:15:03.959 --> 00:15:06.879
 I don't suppose that any of you who received gifts

00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:07.639
 just said,

00:15:07.779 --> 00:15:09.439
 well, I'm not going to really bother opening that.

00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:10.279
 I'll just leave it

00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:13.480
 and see what happens in the turn of the year.

00:15:14.339 --> 00:15:15.579
 Every time we get a gift,

00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.860
 especially Christmas gifts,

00:15:16.860 --> 00:15:19.399
 we're eager to tear the wrapping off

00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:22.379
 and have a look and see what's inside and enjoy it.

00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.899
 That, of course, is true with the gift of Jesus to us as well.

00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:30.899
 We don't want to leave Jesus unaccepted.

00:15:31.300 --> 00:15:34.500
 We don't want to leave him as if he's just an ordinary gift.

00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:36.560
 He is God's great gift,

00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:40.080
 the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:44.740
 Now, I wonder if God spares us to see the next Christmas,

00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:48.780
 if the gifts that you received this Christmastime

00:15:48.780 --> 00:15:51.759
 will still be as precious to you

00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.940
 or as much used by you

00:15:53.940 --> 00:15:56.180
 as they have been in the last few days.

00:15:56.280 --> 00:15:59.420
 I doubt if any of you left your gifts unused

00:15:59.420 --> 00:16:01.060
 as well as unopened.

00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.560
 But I wonder how much your interest in these gifts

00:16:04.560 --> 00:16:07.700
 will continue through this coming year.

00:16:07.700 --> 00:16:10.540
 If you're like me, I'm very excited,

00:16:10.680 --> 00:16:11.780
 usually opening a gift,

00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.680
 but in the passing of time,

00:16:14.340 --> 00:16:17.960
 that interest or that enjoyment tends to decrease.

00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:19.200
 It tends to wane.

00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:21.759
 It tends to not be as intense as it is

00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:23.040
 when you first open the present.

00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:25.560
 And of course, whatever presents they are,

00:16:26.020 --> 00:16:29.480
 the contents will inevitably grow old

00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:31.520
 or you may become tired of them

00:16:31.520 --> 00:16:33.360
 or you might outgrow them.

00:16:34.140 --> 00:16:36.340
 Maybe they're no longer relevant as you grow up.

00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:39.259
 And even if you get the most wonderful

00:16:39.259 --> 00:16:42.240
 or expensive electronic gifts, for example,

00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:44.460
 some of you might have received some of those

00:16:44.460 --> 00:16:45.180
 if you're older,

00:16:46.180 --> 00:16:49.200
 but even that tends to be outdated after a while.

00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:52.340
 Mobile phones, whatever else you have,

00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.700
 and electronic gadgets,

00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:57.440
 they're always replaced by newer versions, aren't they?

00:16:57.860 --> 00:17:00.540
 So you tend to actually have the older versions.

00:17:00.680 --> 00:17:02.080
 Maybe it goes on for a while,

00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.759
 but then after a while,

00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:05.600
 you're tempted to exchange them

00:17:05.600 --> 00:17:08.640
 and people often exchange them as time goes on.

00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:11.900
 Well, with the gift of Jesus,

00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:14.000
 that's never the case.

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:17.100
 He never becomes out of date.

00:17:17.860 --> 00:17:20.620
 He never needs to be replaced by a better model

00:17:20.620 --> 00:17:23.620
 because you can't get one that's better than Jesus.

00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:26.960
 And he never grows irrelevant or old

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:29.860
 or unsuitable for what you need

00:17:29.860 --> 00:17:31.759
 at any time in your life.

00:17:32.360 --> 00:17:34.860
 So when you unwrap God's great present

00:17:34.860 --> 00:17:37.600
 of eternal life in Jesus Christ,

00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:40.279
 when you receive Jesus as your Savior,

00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.340
 when you trust in him,

00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:42.920
 when you believe in him,

00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:45.500
 he's there not just for life in this world,

00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:46.600
 he's there forever.

00:17:48.019 --> 00:17:49.440
 He never needs to be replaced

00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.980
 and you never want to replace him.

00:17:51.660 --> 00:17:53.319
 You never want to be without him.

00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:55.259
 That's the great difference

00:17:55.259 --> 00:17:58.339
 between the gift that God gives us in Jesus

00:17:58.339 --> 00:18:00.359
 and every other gift,

00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:01.359
 however expensive,

00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:03.539
 however much we enjoy it,

00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.500
 the gift of Jesus is special.

00:18:07.439 --> 00:18:09.259
 Special because there's no one like him.

00:18:09.339 --> 00:18:10.819
 And today in the sermon,

00:18:10.919 --> 00:18:12.779
 I'd like you to listen to the sermon as well.

00:18:12.879 --> 00:18:15.960
 I'll try and make it as easy to follow for you

00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:17.599
 as well as for the older ones.

00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.960
 And we're looking at the beauty of Jesus,

00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.759
 how beautiful he is and why he's beautiful.

00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:25.940
 And not only why he's beautiful,

00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.440
 but why he continues to be beautiful

00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:32.779
 because he never loses his beauty as our Savior.

00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.819
 And so I hope you had a really good,

00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:36.680
 happy Christmas.

00:18:37.420 --> 00:18:38.900
 And I hope that whatever you got

00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:40.660
 for your Christmas gifts

00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:43.240
 will continue to be special to you.

00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:46.420
 But do remember the special gift,

00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:49.980
 the gift of Jesus as our Savior,

00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:54.019
 that God in his love has provided for us.

00:18:54.059 --> 00:18:55.620
 And whatever age we're of today,

00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:58.819
 Jesus is the gift we need,

00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:02.259
 the gift we must never leave unopened.

00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:05.039
 So we're going to say the Lord's Prayer together.

00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:07.240
 Let's pray the Lord's Prayer once again.

00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:08.240
 Amen.

00:19:08.700 --> 00:19:10.880
 Our Father, which art in heaven,

00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:12.880
 hallowed be thy name.

00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.519
 Thy kingdom come.

00:19:15.140 --> 00:19:17.759
 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:20.460
 Give us this day our daily bread.

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:24.180
 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:26.539
 And lead us not into temptation,

00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:28.640
 but deliver us from evil.

00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:30.620
 For thine is the kingdom

00:19:30.620 --> 00:19:33.539
 and the power and the glory forever.

00:19:33.539 --> 00:19:34.659
 Amen.

00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:38.700
 Let's now read God's Word.

00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:40.079
 And we're going to read today

00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.039
 from the Psalms,

00:19:42.159 --> 00:19:43.259
 from Psalm 45.

00:19:45.059 --> 00:19:46.539
 Psalm number 45

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:48.539
 in the book of Psalms.

00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:54.259
 We're going to read down through the Psalm.

00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:55.940
 It's not very long.

00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:56.759
 Psalm 45.

00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:57.159
 Psalm 45.

00:19:57.160 --> 00:20:03.940
 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme.

00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:06.320
 I address my verses to the King.

00:20:07.040 --> 00:20:09.800
 My tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

00:20:10.540 --> 00:20:12.940
 You are the most handsome of the sons of men.

00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:15.380
 Grace is poured upon your lips.

00:20:16.080 --> 00:20:17.720
 Therefore God has blessed you forever.

00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:21.140
 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,

00:20:21.580 --> 00:20:23.200
 in your splendor and majesty.

00:20:23.980 --> 00:20:26.160
 In your majesty ride out victoriously,

00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:29.420
 for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness.

00:20:30.360 --> 00:20:32.840
 Let your right hand teach you awesome deeds.

00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:34.980
 Your arrows are sharp

00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:36.920
 in the heart of the king's enemies.

00:20:37.700 --> 00:20:39.279
 The peoples fall under you.

00:20:40.040 --> 00:20:42.100
 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:43.640
 The scepter of your kingdom

00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:45.400
 is a scepter of uprightness.

00:20:46.140 --> 00:20:47.240
 You have loved righteousness

00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:49.200
 and hated wickedness.

00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:51.360
 Therefore God, your God,

00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:53.759
 has anointed you with the oil of gladness

00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:55.400
 beyond your companions.

00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:57.820
 Your robes are all fragrant

00:20:57.820 --> 00:21:00.080
 with myrrh and aloes and cassia.

00:21:00.860 --> 00:21:01.880
 From ivory palaces,

00:21:02.100 --> 00:21:03.860
 stringed instruments make you glad.

00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:07.000
 Daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor.

00:21:07.800 --> 00:21:09.480
 At your right hand stands the queen

00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:10.620
 in gold of Ophir.

00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:12.980
 Hear, O daughter, and consider

00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:14.320
 and incline your ear.

00:21:15.080 --> 00:21:17.060
 Forget your people and your father's house,

00:21:17.259 --> 00:21:19.140
 and the king will desire your beauty.

00:21:19.140 --> 00:21:22.420
 Since he is your Lord, bow to him.

00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.720
 The people of Tyre will seek with favor your gifts.

00:21:27.300 --> 00:21:28.620
 Your favor with gifts.

00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:30.759
 The richest of the people.

00:21:31.820 --> 00:21:34.240
 All glorious is the princess in her chamber,

00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:36.920
 with robes interwoven with gold.

00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:40.160
 In many colored robes she is led to the king,

00:21:40.860 --> 00:21:43.440
 with her virgin companions following behind her.

00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.519
 With joy and gladness they are led along

00:21:46.519 --> 00:21:48.759
 as they enter the palace of the king.

00:21:49.820 --> 00:21:51.940
 In place of your fathers shall be your sons.

00:21:52.660 --> 00:21:54.820
 You will make them princes in all the earth.

00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:57.980
 I will cause your name to be remembered

00:21:57.980 --> 00:21:59.779
 in all generations.

00:22:00.840 --> 00:22:03.140
 Therefore nations will praise you

00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:05.500
 forever and ever.

00:22:05.500 --> 00:22:07.539
 Amen.

00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:08.920
 May God bless to us.

00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.319
 Again, a reading of his word.

00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:12.700
 We're going to praise him once again.

00:22:13.220 --> 00:22:15.180
 We're singing Psalm 47 this time.

00:22:15.859 --> 00:22:16.940
 Psalm number 47.

00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:18.220
 This is in Sing Psalms.

00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:21.759
 You'll find that on page 62 of your psalm books.

00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:28.640
 And we'll sing the whole of this version of the psalm.

00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:31.740
 All nations, clap your hands and shout.

00:22:32.299 --> 00:22:34.779
 Let joyful cries to God ring out.

00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:37.599
 How awesome is the Lord most high.

00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:40.440
 Great king who rules the earth throughout.

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:42.779
 He has subdued beneath our feet

00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:44.839
 the nations who had been our foes.

00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:47.379
 In blessing Jacob, whom he loved,

00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:50.920
 a heritage for us he chose.

00:22:51.059 --> 00:22:51.899
 Psalm 47.

00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:54.079
 These verses on page 62.

00:22:54.639 --> 00:22:57.359
 All nations, clap your hands and shout.

00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:57.539
 Amen.

00:22:57.539 --> 00:23:07.539
 All nations, clap your hands and shout.

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:16.700
 Let joyful cries to God ring out.

00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:24.700
 How awesome is the Lord most high.

00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:25.319
 How awesome is the Lord most high.

00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:33.700
 Great king who rules the earth throughout.

00:23:33.700 --> 00:23:43.700
 He has subdued beneath our feet.

00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:52.700
 The nations who have been our foes.

00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:53.700
 prod stuff.

00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:05.460
 The people of themern you have to beное so thats simple.

00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:11.259
 God has been chosen.

00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:21.360
 God has gone up with chance of joy.

00:24:21.360 --> 00:24:30.660
 The Lord have made the trumpet sound.

00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:40.120
 Sing fresh, sing fresh to God's most high.

00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:49.660
 To all our kings and priests abide.

00:24:50.660 --> 00:25:00.019
 For God is king of all the earth.

00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:09.480
 Sing songs of Christ to him alone.

00:25:09.480 --> 00:25:18.680
 God rules the nations from all night.

00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:28.599
 He sits upon his holy throne.

00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:38.059
 The leaders of the nations come.

00:25:38.059 --> 00:25:47.599
 To yield themselves to Hebrews God.

00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:57.059
 To him beyond the shields of earth.

00:25:57.059 --> 00:26:06.519
 Exalted great is the Lord.

00:26:06.519 --> 00:26:07.519
 Amen.

00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:08.980
 Amen.

00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:09.980
 Amen.

00:26:09.980 --> 00:26:13.460
 Well, let's turn together now to Psalm 45 in the book of Psalms.

00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:15.359
 Psalm number 45.

00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:19.559
 I'm going to look today at the first five verses of the Psalm especially.

00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:28.959
 But focusing really on some of the detail there in regard to the two attributes of Jesus, of Christ as our king.

00:26:29.619 --> 00:26:32.000
 Firstly, his beauty and then his might.

00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:38.740
 Psalm 45, as you can see from the title there, is a love song.

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:41.460
 But it's not an ordinary love song.

00:26:41.460 --> 00:26:43.460
 It's actually a wedding song.

00:26:43.460 --> 00:26:54.460
 It's a song of the relationship between a king and a commoner who's going to become his wife.

00:26:54.460 --> 00:26:58.900
 And that, of course, has tremendous spiritual significance.

00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:03.519
 The psalmist actually very liked the Song of Solomon in many of its expressions.

00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:16.220
 And as you find it quoted in the New Testament, it becomes obvious then especially that this really is a prophecy of the relationship between Jesus and his people.

00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:26.400
 That he is the one who is referred to here prophetically in anticipation as the warrior king who is altogether beautiful.

00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:35.360
 He has so many beautiful attributes that this song really describes them in such a way as would pour out.

00:27:35.820 --> 00:27:41.380
 As it says in the very beginning of the psalm, my heart overflows with a pleasing thing.

00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:43.740
 My address, my verses to the king.

00:27:43.860 --> 00:27:47.140
 It's not just that the verses are about the king.

00:27:47.280 --> 00:27:53.940
 They're addressed to the king as he is in his beauty set out before the psalmist.

00:27:53.940 --> 00:27:58.900
 And so that's the subject, this king that turns out to be King Jesus.

00:27:59.580 --> 00:28:10.460
 And there's a wonderful emphasis in itself that you find things written in the Old Testament scriptures like this psalm that came to be fulfilled many, many hundreds of years afterwards.

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:15.320
 And not just fulfilled, but fulfilled in specific detail.

00:28:15.319 --> 00:28:27.879
 A specific detail in such a way that would really just confirm our conviction that this word, this Bible, this word is the word of God.

00:28:28.419 --> 00:28:36.099
 Inspired by the spirit of God as he moved different authors to write the various parts of it down through the years.

00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:54.599
 How could you possibly find such exact correspondence between some of the passages in the Old Testament like Isaiah 53 and here in Psalm 45 that came to be so specially and minutely fulfilled in the person and the work of Jesus Christ without knowing that God,

00:28:54.939 --> 00:29:02.219
 without realizing really that God, or coming to the conclusion that God is really the author of all this from beginning to end.

00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:14.319
 Well, here is this wonderful wedding song, this marriage song, and this excited eagerness on the part of the psalmist to actually set forth these details.

00:29:14.600 --> 00:29:23.019
 And when we think of a king marrying a commoner, not just a commoner in the sense of the aristocracy or maybe not royalty,

00:29:23.019 --> 00:29:32.559
 this girl that he's marrying, this woman is obviously, as it comes to be seen through the psalm, is just an ordinary common person.

00:29:33.099 --> 00:29:39.099
 She doesn't have any superior status, doesn't have any royalty, she doesn't have even aristocracy about it.

00:29:39.859 --> 00:29:43.519
 She is like the woman in the Song of Solomon.

00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:47.639
 She's just an ordinary down-to-earth person.

00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:55.000
 And when you think about Jesus coming to be spiritually married to his people, to his church,

00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:00.520
 to those that he saves and brings into this marriage relationship with himself spiritually,

00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:03.920
 a wonderful thing happens in that union between them.

00:30:04.660 --> 00:30:10.640
 Because all the debts that we have as sinners, all the debts that we have and what we owe to God,

00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:15.060
 that we cannot ourselves pay, Jesus takes these.

00:30:15.360 --> 00:30:16.900
 Jesus pays for these.

00:30:17.640 --> 00:30:22.040
 All the things that God requires of us, but that we cannot pay, that we cannot do.

00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:26.740
 The debt in which we placed ourselves by a rebellion against him as human beings,

00:30:27.100 --> 00:30:28.660
 that's what Jesus has taken.

00:30:29.320 --> 00:30:31.900
 The king has taken the debt to himself.

00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:35.160
 And he's happy to pay for it.

00:30:35.860 --> 00:30:37.320
 That's the meaning of Christmas.

00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:40.640
 The Son of God coming into the world.

00:30:40.940 --> 00:30:44.400
 Remember how Paul describes it in his second letter to the Corinthians.

00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:47.519
 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:54.220
 Though he was rich and is rich, he's rich with the riches that is his as God.

00:30:54.860 --> 00:31:00.820
 Yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich.

00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:09.900
 It doesn't mean he lost the riches that belonged to God, but it means he placed himself in the situation that led to his death on the cross.

00:31:09.900 --> 00:31:19.660
 And through that work, through that completion, through that accomplishment, we are made rich as we come to be united to him.

00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:25.640
 And so, it's not just that our debts are passed to him and he pays the price of these debts by his death.

00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:28.980
 His riches are also passed to us.

00:31:29.800 --> 00:31:36.440
 This ordinary commoner married to this king can say after the marriage is accomplished,

00:31:37.300 --> 00:31:43.519
 after the marriage has actually been gone through, all the riches of the king become hers.

00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:45.759
 They're all passed over to her.

00:31:45.819 --> 00:31:50.740
 And isn't that one of the most amazing things, one of the most wonderful things to celebrate,

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:53.539
 not only at this time of year, but all times.

00:31:54.079 --> 00:32:05.379
 All the riches that belong to Jesus Christ as the Savior of his people are passed to us as we come to accept him as our Redeemer.

00:32:05.380 --> 00:32:13.600
 So, let's look at the beauty of Jesus described in these words and also the might of Jesus, the strength of Jesus,

00:32:13.780 --> 00:32:18.080
 the Jesus who accomplished such great things for his people.

00:32:19.140 --> 00:32:22.020
 First of all, this beauty, you can see here in verse 2,

00:32:22.140 --> 00:32:25.400
 You are the most handsome of the sons of men.

00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:27.820
 Grace is poured upon your lips.

00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:31.200
 Therefore, God has blessed you forever.

00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:35.539
 You're not just handsome, but the psalmist is saying,

00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:38.340
 You are the most handsome of the sons of men.

00:32:38.420 --> 00:32:41.400
 There is nobody else that has that level of beauty,

00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:46.559
 that level of spiritual handsomeness that belongs to Jesus.

00:32:46.779 --> 00:32:49.819
 He is beautiful, first of all, in his person,

00:32:49.900 --> 00:32:52.360
 because we're talking here about the Son of God.

00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:55.680
 We're talking about the beauty that belongs to the divine,

00:32:56.180 --> 00:32:57.900
 the beauty that belongs to God,

00:32:57.900 --> 00:33:02.580
 the beauty and perfection of God himself as it is in Jesus Christ,

00:33:02.660 --> 00:33:03.620
 the Son of God.

00:33:03.820 --> 00:33:07.560
 That's something that did not actually cease to be the case,

00:33:07.880 --> 00:33:08.900
 the truth about him.

00:33:09.400 --> 00:33:11.600
 Remember Psalm 27,

00:33:11.780 --> 00:33:15.060
 where the psalmist is there speaking of the beauty of God as well.

00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:16.940
 In verse 4,

00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:19.259
 One thing I have asked of the Lord,

00:33:19.320 --> 00:33:20.820
 and that will I seek after,

00:33:21.280 --> 00:33:24.460
 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

00:33:24.460 --> 00:33:27.759
 to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:30.579
 and to inquire in his temple.

00:33:30.579 --> 00:33:33.000
 When you think about the beauty of God,

00:33:33.100 --> 00:33:35.620
 the beauty that's in Jesus as the Son of God,

00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:38.059
 the divine beauty that is his,

00:33:38.140 --> 00:33:39.460
 we're talking here of the beauty,

00:33:39.620 --> 00:33:42.779
 we're thinking here of the beauty of his love,

00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:45.799
 the beauty of God's love,

00:33:46.360 --> 00:33:48.759
 the beauty of love that does not love

00:33:48.759 --> 00:33:51.799
 just in order to get something back in return,

00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:55.659
 but loves because he is love,

00:33:56.099 --> 00:33:58.139
 because he loves to love.

00:33:59.399 --> 00:34:00.980
 The beauty of goodness,

00:34:02.399 --> 00:34:04.180
 the beauty of perfect wisdom,

00:34:05.740 --> 00:34:09.960
 the beauty of truth that never becomes other than truth,

00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:13.219
 constant, eternal truth,

00:34:14.279 --> 00:34:16.559
 the beauty of Jesus in his person,

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:19.340
 in terms of the beauty of God.

00:34:19.340 --> 00:34:22.940
 There's so much you could amplify in these points,

00:34:23.019 --> 00:34:24.079
 so much you could elaborate,

00:34:24.660 --> 00:34:27.140
 because the Bible is full of this beauty of God

00:34:27.140 --> 00:34:31.220
 and the different ways in which God has made his beauty known to us.

00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:36.059
 All the attributes that God has are attributes that manifest,

00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:38.079
 that show out his beauty.

00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:39.079
 But then remember,

00:34:39.200 --> 00:34:41.220
 Jesus is human as well,

00:34:41.340 --> 00:34:42.200
 perfectly human,

00:34:42.460 --> 00:34:43.420
 completely human.

00:34:43.980 --> 00:34:45.820
 He took our human nature to himself.

00:34:45.820 --> 00:34:49.720
 The Son of God joined humanity to his deity

00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:52.019
 so as to complete in himself

00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:55.180
 one perfect person,

00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:57.539
 two natures in one person.

00:34:57.800 --> 00:35:00.640
 The mystery of Christ as our Savior,

00:35:01.300 --> 00:35:03.080
 God and man together.

00:35:04.100 --> 00:35:07.280
 And it's the beauty of a perfect humanity,

00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:10.640
 a perfect human being.

00:35:11.260 --> 00:35:12.380
 What is that like?

00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:16.640
 Well, it's like Jesus,

00:35:17.220 --> 00:35:18.740
 because that's who he is,

00:35:19.140 --> 00:35:20.420
 and that's what he is like.

00:35:20.500 --> 00:35:23.400
 And every time you read about him in the Scriptures,

00:35:23.579 --> 00:35:25.180
 in terms even of his humanity,

00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:28.420
 you always stop to admire that humanity.

00:35:29.200 --> 00:35:31.000
 You just imagine what it must have been like,

00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:33.200
 even to the extent that we can,

00:35:33.260 --> 00:35:35.240
 and we can't go into it too far,

00:35:35.320 --> 00:35:38.460
 but the beauty of a perfect man and a perfect life.

00:35:38.460 --> 00:35:41.920
 You think of him being brought up as a child,

00:35:42.079 --> 00:35:43.780
 and then as a little boy,

00:35:43.860 --> 00:35:45.000
 and then as a young man,

00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:49.139
 and there's never any flaw in him.

00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:54.079
 He has the beauty of perfect behavior,

00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:56.240
 perfect speech.

00:35:57.860 --> 00:36:02.599
 He has the beauty of that which is perfect

00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:03.860
 in its humanity,

00:36:04.360 --> 00:36:05.920
 in every aspect of it.

00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:09.480
 You can just think as far as you can of his parents.

00:36:09.599 --> 00:36:13.559
 I wonder how many times they stopped his parents.

00:36:13.680 --> 00:36:14.639
 That is, his mother Mary,

00:36:14.740 --> 00:36:16.440
 and his legal father Joseph,

00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:19.220
 because of course his father is ultimately God,

00:36:19.300 --> 00:36:19.760
 the Father.

00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:22.920
 But think about him being brought up by them.

00:36:24.059 --> 00:36:26.980
 Think about how they never saw anything in them

00:36:26.980 --> 00:36:27.940
 that was sinful,

00:36:28.900 --> 00:36:31.400
 that was contrary to what God required.

00:36:31.400 --> 00:36:34.160
 every single thing he did,

00:36:34.280 --> 00:36:36.460
 every single word he said,

00:36:37.099 --> 00:36:39.019
 every aspect of his behavior,

00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:41.860
 while he learned because he was human,

00:36:42.220 --> 00:36:44.500
 and while his learning as a human developed,

00:36:45.019 --> 00:36:46.660
 and all of that is true of him,

00:36:46.720 --> 00:36:48.039
 just as it is of any human,

00:36:48.760 --> 00:36:49.980
 yet it is perfect.

00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:53.059
 He is the perfect human being,

00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:55.800
 the beauty of perfect humanity,

00:36:55.800 --> 00:36:59.800
 that which did not exist ever since Adam fell,

00:37:00.820 --> 00:37:03.640
 ever since we became flawed human beings,

00:37:03.780 --> 00:37:04.880
 sinful human beings.

00:37:05.700 --> 00:37:08.420
 But Jesus is the perfect human,

00:37:08.560 --> 00:37:10.820
 the beauty of a perfect,

00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:12.860
 perfect humanity,

00:37:13.860 --> 00:37:17.460
 and the beauty of the perfection of God.

00:37:18.580 --> 00:37:19.340
 He's perfect.

00:37:19.580 --> 00:37:21.480
 He's beautiful in his person.

00:37:21.600 --> 00:37:24.160
 You are the most handsome of the sons of men.

00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:25.139
 But he's also beautiful.

00:37:25.399 --> 00:37:27.159
 Secondly, in his speech,

00:37:27.239 --> 00:37:29.440
 mentioned that a minute ago in terms of his humanity,

00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:31.239
 but is specified here,

00:37:31.399 --> 00:37:34.059
 grace is poured upon your lips,

00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:35.319
 or into your lips.

00:37:36.079 --> 00:37:36.679
 In other words,

00:37:36.759 --> 00:37:39.219
 he is endowed with the most perfect speech.

00:37:39.659 --> 00:37:40.839
 And if you look at the Gospels,

00:37:40.899 --> 00:37:41.859
 and read the Gospels,

00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:46.359
 you'll soon be aware of how people were marveling,

00:37:46.420 --> 00:37:50.279
 and just wondering over the words that came from his lips.

00:37:50.719 --> 00:37:52.920
 For example, in the Gospel of Luke,

00:37:52.920 --> 00:37:53.700
 chapter 4,

00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:55.059
 you remember that great occasion

00:37:55.059 --> 00:37:59.740
 where Jesus in the synagogue took the book of Elijah,

00:38:00.380 --> 00:38:02.119
 the scroll of Elijah was given to him.

00:38:02.780 --> 00:38:05.200
 He unrolled it and found the place where it was written,

00:38:05.940 --> 00:38:07.740
 the Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

00:38:08.119 --> 00:38:10.059
 because he has anointed me

00:38:10.059 --> 00:38:13.240
 to proclaim good news to the poor,

00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:15.139
 to speak out good news,

00:38:15.200 --> 00:38:17.240
 to preach good news to the poor,

00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:18.340
 the words of his lips.

00:38:18.340 --> 00:38:21.000
 And so on he went to proclaim

00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:23.079
 the year of the Lord's favor,

00:38:23.240 --> 00:38:24.960
 and he rolled up the scroll,

00:38:25.120 --> 00:38:26.500
 and gave it back to the attendant,

00:38:26.960 --> 00:38:27.800
 and sat down,

00:38:27.900 --> 00:38:30.000
 and the eyes of all in the synagogue

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:31.240
 were fixed on him.

00:38:31.579 --> 00:38:32.880
 And he began to say to them,

00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:36.260
 And today the Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,

00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:38.220
 and all spoke well of him,

00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:40.000
 and marveled.

00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:41.680
 And then listen to the words of Luke.

00:38:42.980 --> 00:38:45.300
 Marveled at the gracious words

00:38:45.300 --> 00:38:47.099
 that were coming from his mouth.

00:38:47.660 --> 00:38:50.400
 Marveled at the words of grace

00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:52.440
 that were coming from his mouth.

00:38:52.820 --> 00:38:53.420
 And they said,

00:38:53.860 --> 00:38:55.700
 Is not this Joseph's son?

00:38:55.760 --> 00:38:56.099
 And so on.

00:38:56.159 --> 00:38:57.199
 But these words especially

00:38:57.199 --> 00:38:58.739
 fit in with Psalm 45,

00:38:59.039 --> 00:38:59.380
 don't they?

00:38:59.539 --> 00:39:00.519
 It's almost as if Luke

00:39:00.519 --> 00:39:01.900
 at the time was just thinking

00:39:01.900 --> 00:39:04.460
 of reading Psalm 45.

00:39:05.139 --> 00:39:06.079
 Grace is poured

00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:08.119
 into or upon your lips.

00:39:08.219 --> 00:39:08.980
 You are endowed

00:39:08.980 --> 00:39:11.179
 with the most amazing speech.

00:39:11.319 --> 00:39:11.739
 You are endowed

00:39:11.739 --> 00:39:13.279
 with the most amazing ability

00:39:13.279 --> 00:39:15.539
 to speak words of grace.

00:39:15.980 --> 00:39:16.940
 Grace has been poured

00:39:16.940 --> 00:39:18.179
 into your lips.

00:39:19.719 --> 00:39:20.079
 And you know,

00:39:20.119 --> 00:39:20.579
 when you come,

00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:22.779
 as those of you who know Jesus

00:39:22.779 --> 00:39:24.119
 as your Savior

00:39:24.119 --> 00:39:25.079
 know very well,

00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:27.400
 when he spoke to you

00:39:27.400 --> 00:39:28.239
 through his word,

00:39:28.799 --> 00:39:29.659
 when he spoke to you,

00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:30.639
 when the Spirit of God

00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:32.400
 took the words of Scripture

00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:33.659
 and impressed your heart

00:39:33.659 --> 00:39:34.599
 and mind with them,

00:39:34.900 --> 00:39:36.860
 as you heard the voice of Jesus say,

00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:38.360
 Come to me and rest.

00:39:38.980 --> 00:39:40.139
 You know that these words

00:39:40.139 --> 00:39:41.900
 were words filled with grace.

00:39:42.420 --> 00:39:43.279
 Words that were not

00:39:43.279 --> 00:39:45.619
 of an ordinary type of speech.

00:39:45.819 --> 00:39:46.380
 They were words

00:39:46.380 --> 00:39:47.980
 of the Son of God.

00:39:48.139 --> 00:39:48.920
 Words of the Savior.

00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:51.139
 Words by which he awoke you

00:39:51.139 --> 00:39:52.259
 to your sense of need.

00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:54.440
 Words by which he introduced himself

00:39:54.440 --> 00:39:54.980
 to you.

00:39:55.079 --> 00:39:56.259
 As the perfect Savior.

00:39:56.759 --> 00:39:57.960
 Words that you still remember

00:39:57.960 --> 00:39:58.719
 and still hear

00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:00.179
 and still long to hear

00:40:00.179 --> 00:40:01.699
 is the words of grace.

00:40:03.099 --> 00:40:05.059
 Words of favor.

00:40:05.279 --> 00:40:06.340
 Words of blessing.

00:40:09.179 --> 00:40:10.460
 God endowed him

00:40:10.460 --> 00:40:12.860
 so that his ministry

00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:13.460
 would be

00:40:13.460 --> 00:40:15.199
 a ministry of grace,

00:40:15.319 --> 00:40:17.900
 a ministry of favor

00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:19.780
 to lost sinners.

00:40:19.780 --> 00:40:22.280
 There is a beauty

00:40:22.280 --> 00:40:24.119
 in all his words.

00:40:24.180 --> 00:40:24.539
 And of course,

00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:26.059
 we know that because

00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:27.420
 he is the Son of God,

00:40:28.119 --> 00:40:29.800
 because he himself

00:40:29.800 --> 00:40:30.599
 is behind

00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:33.460
 the inspiration,

00:40:33.740 --> 00:40:35.139
 the setting out

00:40:35.139 --> 00:40:35.760
 of Scripture

00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:36.579
 as we have it,

00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:37.900
 Old Testament

00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:39.200
 as well as New Testament.

00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:40.939
 It wasn't just

00:40:40.939 --> 00:40:41.559
 at the beginning

00:40:41.559 --> 00:40:42.779
 of Matthew's Gospel

00:40:42.779 --> 00:40:44.239
 or in those times

00:40:44.239 --> 00:40:45.659
 of the incarnation,

00:40:45.980 --> 00:40:47.419
 of the coming of Jesus

00:40:47.419 --> 00:40:48.099
 into the world,

00:40:48.159 --> 00:40:48.980
 the birth of Jesus.

00:40:49.179 --> 00:40:50.219
 That's not when Jesus

00:40:50.219 --> 00:40:51.099
 began to live.

00:40:51.379 --> 00:40:52.219
 That's not the beginning

00:40:52.219 --> 00:40:52.799
 of his life.

00:40:52.879 --> 00:40:53.419
 He didn't have

00:40:53.419 --> 00:40:54.859
 the beginning of life

00:40:54.859 --> 00:40:57.019
 ultimately because

00:40:57.019 --> 00:40:57.759
 he is God.

00:40:57.839 --> 00:40:58.659
 He has eternal

00:40:58.659 --> 00:41:00.259
 life as God.

00:41:00.260 --> 00:41:04.240
 And you see the beauty

00:41:04.240 --> 00:41:06.580
 in his words,

00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:08.260
 the beauty

00:41:08.260 --> 00:41:09.380
 in his promises,

00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:11.380
 beauty even

00:41:11.380 --> 00:41:12.240
 in his commands,

00:41:14.060 --> 00:41:15.220
 beauty in his counsel,

00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:16.480
 beauty in his comfort,

00:41:16.940 --> 00:41:18.120
 beauty in his correction

00:41:18.120 --> 00:41:19.220
 because he is always

00:41:19.220 --> 00:41:20.740
 about setting us

00:41:20.740 --> 00:41:21.660
 on the right path,

00:41:21.780 --> 00:41:22.240
 keeping us

00:41:22.240 --> 00:41:23.340
 on the right path.

00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:24.960
 Beauty of words

00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:25.500
 of peace

00:41:25.500 --> 00:41:26.120
 that he speaks

00:41:26.120 --> 00:41:26.780
 into your heart.

00:41:26.860 --> 00:41:27.500
 How beautiful

00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:28.560
 are the words

00:41:28.560 --> 00:41:29.080
 of Jesus

00:41:29.080 --> 00:41:29.760
 when your heart

00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:30.540
 needs peace,

00:41:30.820 --> 00:41:31.420
 when your heart

00:41:31.420 --> 00:41:32.280
 needs to rest,

00:41:32.700 --> 00:41:34.160
 when you're faced

00:41:34.160 --> 00:41:35.040
 with the challenges

00:41:35.040 --> 00:41:36.180
 of this life,

00:41:36.560 --> 00:41:37.040
 with the many

00:41:37.040 --> 00:41:38.620
 different aspects

00:41:38.620 --> 00:41:39.880
 of affliction

00:41:39.880 --> 00:41:40.660
 and of grief

00:41:40.660 --> 00:41:41.440
 and of sorrow

00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:43.760
 and of change

00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:44.960
 that you find

00:41:44.960 --> 00:41:45.860
 in your experience

00:41:45.860 --> 00:41:46.620
 from day to day,

00:41:46.700 --> 00:41:47.660
 from year to year.

00:41:47.980 --> 00:41:49.060
 As you come towards

00:41:49.060 --> 00:41:50.480
 the end of another year

00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:51.680
 in which you've seen

00:41:51.680 --> 00:41:52.280
 changes,

00:41:52.500 --> 00:41:53.300
 especially if you've

00:41:53.300 --> 00:41:54.240
 lost loved ones,

00:41:54.720 --> 00:41:55.440
 if your health

00:41:55.440 --> 00:41:56.300
 has been an issue,

00:41:56.640 --> 00:41:57.720
 if your mental health

00:41:57.720 --> 00:41:58.600
 has been an issue,

00:41:58.599 --> 00:41:59.679
 if all of these

00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:00.420
 things and others

00:42:00.420 --> 00:42:01.599
 you could add to them

00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:02.259
 have been issues

00:42:02.259 --> 00:42:03.400
 and challenges for you.

00:42:03.779 --> 00:42:05.259
 How wonderfully

00:42:05.259 --> 00:42:06.299
 beautiful are the

00:42:06.299 --> 00:42:07.400
 words of Jesus

00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:09.579
 because he addresses

00:42:09.579 --> 00:42:10.739
 you in these

00:42:10.739 --> 00:42:11.500
 circumstances

00:42:11.500 --> 00:42:12.900
 with his perfect

00:42:12.900 --> 00:42:13.480
 knowledge,

00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:15.019
 with his concern

00:42:15.019 --> 00:42:16.199
 to bring his

00:42:16.199 --> 00:42:17.400
 promises to bear

00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:18.679
 upon your circumstances,

00:42:18.940 --> 00:42:20.339
 to impress upon you

00:42:20.339 --> 00:42:21.159
 and to give you

00:42:21.159 --> 00:42:21.940
 an even deeper

00:42:21.940 --> 00:42:22.559
 conviction

00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:23.819
 that his word

00:42:23.819 --> 00:42:24.699
 is always true,

00:42:24.980 --> 00:42:25.420
 his word

00:42:25.420 --> 00:42:26.500
 is always reliable,

00:42:26.900 --> 00:42:27.319
 his words

00:42:27.319 --> 00:42:28.400
 are always beautiful.

00:42:28.599 --> 00:42:30.579
 the beauty

00:42:30.579 --> 00:42:32.239
 of Jesus,

00:42:33.779 --> 00:42:34.559
 beauty in his

00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:35.000
 person,

00:42:36.319 --> 00:42:37.179
 beauty in his

00:42:37.179 --> 00:42:37.739
 speech,

00:42:38.779 --> 00:42:39.559
 in whatever he

00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:40.000
 says,

00:42:40.119 --> 00:42:40.839
 whether it's even

00:42:40.839 --> 00:42:42.619
 at times to

00:42:42.619 --> 00:42:44.619
 bring us up

00:42:44.619 --> 00:42:45.279
 short and

00:42:45.279 --> 00:42:46.659
 show us how

00:42:46.659 --> 00:42:47.460
 far short we're

00:42:47.460 --> 00:42:48.059
 coming of

00:42:48.059 --> 00:42:49.619
 the standard he

00:42:49.619 --> 00:42:50.339
 expects and

00:42:50.339 --> 00:42:51.239
 requires of us.

00:42:51.239 --> 00:42:54.000
 maybe it's even

00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:55.339
 today a time of

00:42:55.339 --> 00:42:56.779
 correction for me

00:42:56.779 --> 00:42:57.419
 or for you

00:42:57.419 --> 00:42:59.079
 to set us back

00:42:59.079 --> 00:42:59.579
 on the right

00:42:59.579 --> 00:43:00.079
 path,

00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:02.299
 to refocus our

00:43:02.299 --> 00:43:03.059
 mind upon

00:43:03.059 --> 00:43:04.179
 the things that

00:43:04.179 --> 00:43:04.859
 are of eternal

00:43:04.859 --> 00:43:05.500
 importance.

00:43:07.219 --> 00:43:08.000
 Well, that's

00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:08.759
 beauty as well,

00:43:08.819 --> 00:43:09.259
 isn't it?

00:43:09.979 --> 00:43:10.779
 The beauty

00:43:10.779 --> 00:43:12.199
 of Christ's

00:43:12.199 --> 00:43:12.579
 words.

00:43:13.879 --> 00:43:14.579
 But secondly,

00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:15.119
 along with the

00:43:15.119 --> 00:43:15.879
 beauty of Jesus,

00:43:16.379 --> 00:43:17.159
 these words in the

00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:18.299
 psalm speak of the

00:43:18.299 --> 00:43:19.379
 might of Jesus.

00:43:19.380 --> 00:43:19.539
 Jesus,

00:43:20.240 --> 00:43:20.980
 he's talking here

00:43:20.980 --> 00:43:21.660
 in verse 3,

00:43:22.039 --> 00:43:23.019
 gird your sword

00:43:23.019 --> 00:43:23.880
 on your thigh

00:43:23.880 --> 00:43:25.519
 and then let

00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:26.200
 your arrows

00:43:26.200 --> 00:43:27.519
 that are sharp

00:43:27.519 --> 00:43:28.860
 pierce the hearts

00:43:28.860 --> 00:43:29.460
 of the king's

00:43:29.460 --> 00:43:30.200
 enemies in verse

00:43:30.200 --> 00:43:30.579
 5.

00:43:30.720 --> 00:43:32.099
 So the might of

00:43:32.099 --> 00:43:32.599
 Jesus, you can

00:43:32.599 --> 00:43:33.599
 see him described

00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:34.220
 here as a

00:43:34.220 --> 00:43:35.059
 warrior king,

00:43:35.559 --> 00:43:36.320
 somebody who is

00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:37.860
 constantly equipped

00:43:37.860 --> 00:43:38.740
 for battle.

00:43:39.400 --> 00:43:39.800
 And of course,

00:43:40.200 --> 00:43:40.640
 when the Bible

00:43:40.640 --> 00:43:41.640
 speaks about battle

00:43:41.640 --> 00:43:42.099
 in this way,

00:43:42.140 --> 00:43:42.660
 it's not talking

00:43:42.660 --> 00:43:43.840
 about fighting

00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:44.440
 literally.

00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:45.119
 A lot of

00:43:45.119 --> 00:43:45.559
 people make

00:43:45.559 --> 00:43:46.240
 that mistake

00:43:46.240 --> 00:43:47.320
 that we as

00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:48.079
 Christians really

00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:49.480
 just set out

00:43:49.480 --> 00:43:51.220
 the Bible as

00:43:51.220 --> 00:43:51.960
 containing all

00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:52.800
 these terms of

00:43:52.800 --> 00:43:53.559
 violence, that

00:43:53.559 --> 00:43:54.500
 the Bible is

00:43:54.500 --> 00:43:55.559
 responsible for

00:43:55.559 --> 00:43:56.260
 much of the

00:43:56.260 --> 00:43:56.940
 violence in the

00:43:56.940 --> 00:43:57.639
 world, for the

00:43:57.639 --> 00:43:58.880
 conflict between

00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:00.619
 different views

00:44:00.619 --> 00:44:01.880
 that human beings

00:44:01.880 --> 00:44:02.280
 have.

00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:02.840
 Well, of course,

00:44:02.940 --> 00:44:04.480
 Christ in his

00:44:04.480 --> 00:44:05.860
 might and in

00:44:05.860 --> 00:44:06.840
 these terms that

00:44:06.840 --> 00:44:07.340
 are used here,

00:44:07.380 --> 00:44:07.700
 they're used

00:44:07.700 --> 00:44:09.200
 especially in a

00:44:09.200 --> 00:44:10.159
 spiritual meaning.

00:44:10.159 --> 00:44:14.239
 And it's been

00:44:14.239 --> 00:44:14.819
 the case, I

00:44:14.819 --> 00:44:15.539
 know very well,

00:44:15.719 --> 00:44:16.579
 and you know

00:44:16.579 --> 00:44:17.259
 very well that

00:44:17.259 --> 00:44:17.719
 down through

00:44:17.719 --> 00:44:19.279
 history, at

00:44:19.279 --> 00:44:19.940
 certain times

00:44:19.940 --> 00:44:20.599
 Christians have

00:44:20.599 --> 00:44:21.239
 taken up the

00:44:21.239 --> 00:44:23.279
 sword as if we

00:44:23.279 --> 00:44:24.359
 present the

00:44:24.359 --> 00:44:25.619
 gospel accompanied

00:44:25.619 --> 00:44:26.859
 by violent

00:44:26.859 --> 00:44:27.899
 means in order to

00:44:27.899 --> 00:44:28.779
 persuade people to

00:44:28.779 --> 00:44:29.279
 accept it.

00:44:29.339 --> 00:44:30.519
 That's not what

00:44:30.519 --> 00:44:31.339
 Christianity is

00:44:31.339 --> 00:44:31.699
 about.

00:44:32.319 --> 00:44:32.719
 That's a

00:44:32.719 --> 00:44:33.980
 distortion of

00:44:33.980 --> 00:44:34.539
 Christianity.

00:44:34.699 --> 00:44:34.940
 That's a

00:44:34.940 --> 00:44:36.039
 distortion of the

00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:37.159
 values of Christ.

00:44:37.819 --> 00:44:38.559
 Because when Christ

00:44:38.559 --> 00:44:39.199
 goes out to

00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:40.139
 conquer, he

00:44:40.139 --> 00:44:40.719
 goes out to

00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:41.339
 attack our

00:44:41.339 --> 00:44:42.039
 hearts and our

00:44:42.039 --> 00:44:42.980
 minds by ways

00:44:42.980 --> 00:44:43.579
 of his truth.

00:44:44.119 --> 00:44:44.699
 He brings us,

00:44:44.739 --> 00:44:45.420
 as it says there,

00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:47.400
 into subjection to

00:44:47.400 --> 00:44:47.920
 himself.

00:44:48.059 --> 00:44:48.759
 In verse 5,

00:44:49.480 --> 00:44:50.179
 your arrows are

00:44:50.179 --> 00:44:51.119
 sharp in the

00:44:51.119 --> 00:44:51.619
 hearts of the

00:44:51.619 --> 00:44:52.239
 king's enemies,

00:44:52.619 --> 00:44:53.480
 the people fall

00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:54.420
 in subjection

00:44:54.420 --> 00:44:54.980
 under you.

00:44:55.199 --> 00:44:55.940
 The subjection

00:44:55.940 --> 00:44:57.500
 that is talking

00:44:57.500 --> 00:44:58.179
 here of Jesus

00:44:58.179 --> 00:44:59.420
 is the subjection

00:44:59.420 --> 00:45:00.119
 of your heart

00:45:00.119 --> 00:45:00.940
 and your mind

00:45:00.940 --> 00:45:01.859
 to him, to be

00:45:01.859 --> 00:45:02.579
 ruled by him, to

00:45:02.579 --> 00:45:03.299
 be ruled gladly

00:45:03.299 --> 00:45:04.199
 and willingly by

00:45:04.199 --> 00:45:04.480
 him.

00:45:05.440 --> 00:45:05.920
 It's not a

00:45:05.920 --> 00:45:06.940
 forced subjection,

00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:07.599
 it's not something

00:45:07.599 --> 00:45:07.980
 that's done

00:45:07.980 --> 00:45:08.559
 violently.

00:45:10.139 --> 00:45:11.219
 That's why we

00:45:11.219 --> 00:45:11.839
 value our

00:45:11.839 --> 00:45:12.460
 freedom of

00:45:12.460 --> 00:45:14.460
 religion, among

00:45:14.460 --> 00:45:15.299
 many other

00:45:15.299 --> 00:45:16.279
 freedoms like

00:45:16.279 --> 00:45:16.839
 freedom of

00:45:16.839 --> 00:45:18.460
 speech, freedom

00:45:18.460 --> 00:45:19.900
 of thought, freedom

00:45:19.900 --> 00:45:20.539
 of religion.

00:45:21.139 --> 00:45:21.980
 We don't force

00:45:21.980 --> 00:45:22.980
 people into

00:45:22.980 --> 00:45:23.879
 acceptance of

00:45:23.879 --> 00:45:25.400
 Christianity or

00:45:25.400 --> 00:45:26.019
 of Christ.

00:45:26.579 --> 00:45:27.179
 We seek to

00:45:27.179 --> 00:45:27.900
 persuade them.

00:45:28.480 --> 00:45:29.199
 We seek to

00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:29.960
 persuade them by

00:45:29.960 --> 00:45:30.819
 the beauty of

00:45:30.819 --> 00:45:31.759
 Christ, by

00:45:31.759 --> 00:45:32.639
 emphasizing the

00:45:32.639 --> 00:45:33.199
 beauty of

00:45:33.199 --> 00:45:33.980
 Christ, by

00:45:33.980 --> 00:45:34.799
 emphasizing his

00:45:34.799 --> 00:45:35.400
 beauty in his

00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:36.259
 person and in

00:45:36.259 --> 00:45:37.859
 his words and in

00:45:37.859 --> 00:45:38.559
 everything else to

00:45:38.559 --> 00:45:40.539
 do with him so

00:45:40.539 --> 00:45:41.000
 that they be

00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:42.659
 persuaded to

00:45:42.659 --> 00:45:43.320
 lay down that

00:45:43.320 --> 00:45:44.719
 rebellion against

00:45:44.719 --> 00:45:45.239
 him, the

00:45:45.239 --> 00:45:46.559
 spiritual rebellion

00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:47.940
 that is ours by

00:45:47.940 --> 00:45:48.840
 nature and come

00:45:48.840 --> 00:45:50.679
 and yield to his

00:45:50.679 --> 00:45:51.440
 authority.

00:45:52.840 --> 00:45:53.440
 And that's our

00:45:53.440 --> 00:45:54.679
 basis of

00:45:54.679 --> 00:45:55.960
 confidence in the

00:45:55.960 --> 00:45:56.679
 gospel, isn't

00:45:56.679 --> 00:45:56.940
 it?

00:45:57.699 --> 00:45:58.699
 That this

00:45:58.699 --> 00:45:59.559
 gospel, this

00:45:59.559 --> 00:46:01.279
 good news of

00:46:01.279 --> 00:46:01.799
 life, of

00:46:01.799 --> 00:46:03.059
 eternal life in

00:46:03.059 --> 00:46:03.920
 Jesus Christ,

00:46:04.259 --> 00:46:04.880
 that is not

00:46:04.880 --> 00:46:06.000
 dependent ultimately

00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:07.099
 on our ability,

00:46:07.099 --> 00:46:08.219
 whatever ability

00:46:08.219 --> 00:46:08.819
 we have or

00:46:08.819 --> 00:46:09.539
 don't have to

00:46:09.539 --> 00:46:10.460
 speak or to

00:46:10.460 --> 00:46:11.039
 preach or to

00:46:11.039 --> 00:46:11.779
 witness or to

00:46:11.779 --> 00:46:12.960
 testify for him,

00:46:13.719 --> 00:46:14.659
 the success of

00:46:14.659 --> 00:46:15.360
 the gospel does

00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:16.279
 not rest with

00:46:16.279 --> 00:46:16.519
 that.

00:46:16.779 --> 00:46:17.719
 It rests with

00:46:17.719 --> 00:46:18.659
 the power, the

00:46:18.659 --> 00:46:19.500
 might of Jesus

00:46:19.500 --> 00:46:19.920
 himself.

00:46:20.219 --> 00:46:20.860
 It's in the very

00:46:20.860 --> 00:46:21.659
 nature of the

00:46:21.659 --> 00:46:22.579
 word of Christ

00:46:22.579 --> 00:46:23.880
 that he uses in

00:46:23.880 --> 00:46:24.759
 order to persuade

00:46:24.759 --> 00:46:26.239
 us to come to

00:46:26.239 --> 00:46:27.400
 be in subjection to

00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:28.659
 him, to accept

00:46:28.659 --> 00:46:29.380
 his truth, to

00:46:29.380 --> 00:46:30.099
 accept him as

00:46:30.099 --> 00:46:31.259
 our Lord, accept

00:46:31.259 --> 00:46:31.880
 him as our

00:46:31.880 --> 00:46:33.019
 Savior, accept

00:46:33.019 --> 00:46:33.799
 him as the King

00:46:33.799 --> 00:46:35.500
 and Lord of all

00:46:35.500 --> 00:46:36.059
 the earth.

00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:38.920
 It's interesting,

00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:39.420
 isn't it, that

00:46:39.420 --> 00:46:40.880
 Psalm 45

00:46:40.880 --> 00:46:42.079
 follows on from

00:46:42.079 --> 00:46:43.400
 Psalm 44.

00:46:43.659 --> 00:46:44.000
 I know you're

00:46:44.000 --> 00:46:44.260
 saying, well,

00:46:44.280 --> 00:46:44.880
 that's logical,

00:46:45.039 --> 00:46:47.480
 45 follows 44

00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:48.119
 in terms of

00:46:48.119 --> 00:46:49.179
 numerical sequence,

00:46:49.300 --> 00:46:49.820
 but what I mean

00:46:49.820 --> 00:46:50.639
 is in terms of

00:46:50.639 --> 00:46:51.519
 the content of

00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:54.000
 Psalm 45, it's

00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:54.940
 deliberately placed

00:46:54.940 --> 00:46:56.480
 beside Psalm 44

00:46:56.480 --> 00:46:57.440
 because Psalm 44

00:46:57.440 --> 00:46:58.840
 is by and large

00:46:58.840 --> 00:46:59.440
 a psalm of

00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:00.360
 defeat, a psalm

00:47:00.360 --> 00:47:01.139
 of lament, a

00:47:01.139 --> 00:47:02.699
 psalm of seeking

00:47:02.699 --> 00:47:04.619
 to have God

00:47:04.619 --> 00:47:05.980
 refocus them and

00:47:05.980 --> 00:47:06.960
 re-guide them and

00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:08.179
 bring them back to

00:47:08.179 --> 00:47:10.299
 know himself.

00:47:10.719 --> 00:47:11.259
 And there's his

00:47:11.259 --> 00:47:13.259
 appeal there in

00:47:13.259 --> 00:47:14.599
 verse 23, Psalm

00:47:14.599 --> 00:47:16.139
 44, awake, why

00:47:16.139 --> 00:47:17.039
 are you sleeping,

00:47:17.259 --> 00:47:17.399
 O Lord?

00:47:17.519 --> 00:47:18.939
 Arouse yourself, do

00:47:18.939 --> 00:47:19.899
 not reject us

00:47:19.899 --> 00:47:20.219
 forever.

00:47:20.399 --> 00:47:21.219
 Why do you hide

00:47:21.219 --> 00:47:21.779
 your face?

00:47:22.239 --> 00:47:23.419
 Why do you forget

00:47:23.419 --> 00:47:24.399
 our affliction and

00:47:24.399 --> 00:47:24.839
 oppression?

00:47:25.359 --> 00:47:26.679
 Our soul is bowed

00:47:26.679 --> 00:47:27.739
 down to the dust,

00:47:28.079 --> 00:47:29.199
 our belly clings to

00:47:29.199 --> 00:47:29.619
 the ground.

00:47:29.960 --> 00:47:31.699
 Rise up, come to

00:47:31.699 --> 00:47:32.980
 our help, redeem

00:47:32.980 --> 00:47:34.059
 us for the sake of

00:47:34.059 --> 00:47:35.199
 your steadfast love.

00:47:35.579 --> 00:47:36.399
 What is the next

00:47:36.399 --> 00:47:37.539
 portion of the

00:47:37.539 --> 00:47:38.000
 Psalms?

00:47:38.739 --> 00:47:40.339
 My heart overflows

00:47:40.339 --> 00:47:41.639
 with a pleasing

00:47:41.639 --> 00:47:42.099
 thing.

00:47:42.839 --> 00:47:43.879
 I address my

00:47:43.879 --> 00:47:45.379
 verses to the

00:47:45.379 --> 00:47:45.980
 king, and then he

00:47:45.980 --> 00:47:46.659
 describes his

00:47:46.659 --> 00:47:46.919
 beauty.

00:47:47.039 --> 00:47:47.399
 You see, the

00:47:47.399 --> 00:47:48.879
 beauty of Jesus

00:47:48.879 --> 00:47:49.939
 and the might of

00:47:49.939 --> 00:47:51.480
 Jesus is really

00:47:51.480 --> 00:47:52.519
 the answer to our

00:47:52.519 --> 00:47:53.639
 human problem.

00:47:54.279 --> 00:47:54.899
 It's the answer

00:47:54.899 --> 00:47:55.899
 to, and I'm using

00:47:55.899 --> 00:47:57.139
 the term problem

00:47:57.139 --> 00:47:57.779
 in the singular

00:47:57.779 --> 00:47:58.939
 because the human

00:47:58.939 --> 00:48:00.239
 problem includes all

00:48:00.239 --> 00:48:00.919
 our problems.

00:48:01.699 --> 00:48:03.099
 All our concerns

00:48:03.099 --> 00:48:04.099
 and all our wants.

00:48:04.879 --> 00:48:05.879
 But God's answer

00:48:05.879 --> 00:48:06.839
 to that is in the

00:48:06.839 --> 00:48:08.239
 beauty and in the

00:48:08.239 --> 00:48:09.239
 might of Jesus,

00:48:10.519 --> 00:48:11.779
 in his suitability

00:48:11.779 --> 00:48:12.779
 and in his

00:48:12.779 --> 00:48:15.159
 sufficiency to

00:48:15.159 --> 00:48:16.239
 actually deal with

00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:18.000
 our problems, and

00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:18.679
 to deal especially

00:48:18.679 --> 00:48:19.519
 with the problem of

00:48:19.519 --> 00:48:21.539
 our sin, which is

00:48:21.539 --> 00:48:22.299
 the root of all

00:48:22.299 --> 00:48:23.319
 other problems.

00:48:24.779 --> 00:48:25.619
 Our sin, our

00:48:25.619 --> 00:48:27.219
 rebellion, our

00:48:27.219 --> 00:48:28.279
 broken relationship

00:48:28.280 --> 00:48:30.760
 with God, and

00:48:30.760 --> 00:48:31.820
 into that comes

00:48:31.820 --> 00:48:34.820
 Jesus Christ, the

00:48:34.820 --> 00:48:35.500
 beauty and the

00:48:35.500 --> 00:48:37.019
 might that is

00:48:37.019 --> 00:48:37.400
 his.

00:48:38.780 --> 00:48:39.640
 And the might of

00:48:39.640 --> 00:48:41.220
 Jesus, you see, the

00:48:41.220 --> 00:48:42.019
 might of Jesus has

00:48:42.019 --> 00:48:44.320
 seen that he never

00:48:44.320 --> 00:48:45.940
 loses in his

00:48:45.940 --> 00:48:47.480
 campaign for the

00:48:47.480 --> 00:48:47.880
 truth.

00:48:49.120 --> 00:48:49.960
 Christ has never

00:48:49.960 --> 00:48:50.740
 lost a battle.

00:48:50.740 --> 00:48:51.760
 The church has

00:48:51.760 --> 00:48:52.800
 lost many battles,

00:48:53.280 --> 00:48:54.460
 but in the overall

00:48:54.460 --> 00:48:55.440
 scheme of things,

00:48:55.440 --> 00:48:56.940
 the Lord has never

00:48:56.940 --> 00:48:57.840
 lost a battle.

00:48:58.659 --> 00:48:59.260
 You find it

00:48:59.260 --> 00:49:00.400
 described in the

00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:01.320
 Gospels, especially

00:49:01.320 --> 00:49:01.960
 as the battle

00:49:01.960 --> 00:49:02.960
 between good and

00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:03.960
 evil, the battle

00:49:03.960 --> 00:49:05.579
 between Jesus, the

00:49:05.579 --> 00:49:06.500
 head of his people,

00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:07.900
 and the likes of

00:49:07.900 --> 00:49:09.440
 Satan, who is at the

00:49:09.440 --> 00:49:10.380
 head of this great

00:49:10.380 --> 00:49:11.460
 campaign against

00:49:11.460 --> 00:49:12.340
 Jesus and against

00:49:12.340 --> 00:49:13.320
 his truth and

00:49:13.320 --> 00:49:14.179
 against the light.

00:49:14.179 --> 00:49:15.839
 And every time you

00:49:15.839 --> 00:49:18.059
 find Jesus confronted

00:49:18.059 --> 00:49:19.039
 by the devil, whether

00:49:19.039 --> 00:49:19.460
 it's in the

00:49:19.460 --> 00:49:20.319
 wilderness, in

00:49:20.319 --> 00:49:21.699
 Matthew chapter 4,

00:49:21.859 --> 00:49:22.839
 or Luke's description

00:49:22.839 --> 00:49:23.839
 of it, or Mark's,

00:49:24.480 --> 00:49:25.579
 you'll always find that

00:49:25.579 --> 00:49:27.139
 the ultimate victory

00:49:27.139 --> 00:49:28.000
 is with Jesus.

00:49:28.179 --> 00:49:29.559
 He never loses a

00:49:29.559 --> 00:49:31.199
 battle, nor will he

00:49:31.199 --> 00:49:31.559
 ever.

00:49:31.679 --> 00:49:32.219
 And you know, that's

00:49:32.219 --> 00:49:32.879
 some of the most

00:49:32.879 --> 00:49:34.980
 comforting thoughts

00:49:34.980 --> 00:49:36.079
 that you can have.

00:49:37.159 --> 00:49:37.799
 Some of the most

00:49:37.799 --> 00:49:38.919
 comforting truth that

00:49:38.919 --> 00:49:40.000
 comes from the

00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:40.940
 Bible to you and to

00:49:40.940 --> 00:49:42.379
 me today is that in

00:49:42.379 --> 00:49:43.719
 all your battles, in

00:49:43.719 --> 00:49:45.219
 all your struggles, in

00:49:45.219 --> 00:49:45.919
 all the things that

00:49:45.919 --> 00:49:47.000
 you experience in this

00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:48.039
 life, where you know

00:49:48.039 --> 00:49:49.419
 failure, where I know

00:49:49.419 --> 00:49:51.879
 failure, when your

00:49:51.879 --> 00:49:53.079
 trust is in Jesus,

00:49:53.779 --> 00:49:55.639
 ultimately, in the

00:49:55.639 --> 00:49:58.000
 final analysis, you're

00:49:58.000 --> 00:49:59.019
 never on the side of

00:49:59.019 --> 00:49:59.399
 failure.

00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:01.759
 You're always on the

00:50:01.759 --> 00:50:02.639
 side of victory,

00:50:03.279 --> 00:50:04.919
 because this is your

00:50:04.919 --> 00:50:05.159
 king.

00:50:05.259 --> 00:50:05.819
 This is who your

00:50:05.819 --> 00:50:06.480
 king is.

00:50:08.179 --> 00:50:09.480
 One who never loses

00:50:09.480 --> 00:50:12.059
 in his great campaign

00:50:12.059 --> 00:50:12.819
 that he heads.

00:50:12.820 --> 00:50:13.860
 You know, even

00:50:13.860 --> 00:50:16.580
 coming to the

00:50:16.580 --> 00:50:18.500
 description in the

00:50:18.500 --> 00:50:19.480
 Gospels of his

00:50:19.480 --> 00:50:21.000
 death on the cross,

00:50:21.940 --> 00:50:23.559
 and all that led up

00:50:23.559 --> 00:50:25.059
 to his trial,

00:50:25.700 --> 00:50:26.820
 which was a sham,

00:50:26.920 --> 00:50:27.800
 really, of a trial,

00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:30.360
 and then his being led

00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:31.519
 out to be crucified,

00:50:32.320 --> 00:50:33.920
 and his death that

00:50:33.920 --> 00:50:35.059
 actually took place on

00:50:35.059 --> 00:50:35.680
 the cross.

00:50:36.480 --> 00:50:37.300
 Looking at it

00:50:37.300 --> 00:50:40.160
 outwardly, and

00:50:40.160 --> 00:50:41.260
 probably the devil was

00:50:41.260 --> 00:50:42.080
 of this opinion.

00:50:43.600 --> 00:50:44.700
 Looks like defeat,

00:50:44.820 --> 00:50:45.200
 doesn't it?

00:50:46.620 --> 00:50:47.480
 And you find these

00:50:47.480 --> 00:50:48.980
 disconsolate disciples

00:50:48.980 --> 00:50:50.320
 who had been as

00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:51.460
 disciples during these

00:50:51.460 --> 00:50:54.120
 years with him, and

00:50:54.120 --> 00:50:54.840
 here they are, and

00:50:54.840 --> 00:50:55.800
 they're disconsolate.

00:50:56.400 --> 00:50:57.580
 They haven't understood,

00:50:57.860 --> 00:50:58.560
 of course, at that

00:50:58.560 --> 00:50:59.540
 stage, the meaning of

00:50:59.540 --> 00:51:00.500
 the cross, and

00:51:00.500 --> 00:51:01.520
 especially before the

00:51:01.520 --> 00:51:02.740
 resurrection took place,

00:51:02.800 --> 00:51:04.080
 you'll find, as in

00:51:04.080 --> 00:51:05.200
 Luke 24, these

00:51:05.200 --> 00:51:07.360
 disconsolate, downcast

00:51:07.360 --> 00:51:08.260
 disciples walking

00:51:08.840 --> 00:51:10.100
 together and reflecting

00:51:10.099 --> 00:51:10.839
 on what's happened.

00:51:11.199 --> 00:51:13.099
 We thought this was

00:51:13.099 --> 00:51:14.159
 he who would redeem

00:51:14.159 --> 00:51:15.159
 Israel, and where is

00:51:15.159 --> 00:51:15.259
 he?

00:51:15.380 --> 00:51:16.539
 He's in the grave.

00:51:18.759 --> 00:51:19.920
 But then someone

00:51:19.920 --> 00:51:20.799
 came and joined

00:51:20.799 --> 00:51:21.460
 their company.

00:51:23.339 --> 00:51:24.360
 Someone no less

00:51:24.360 --> 00:51:25.599
 than Jesus himself.

00:51:27.480 --> 00:51:29.059
 And as he revealed

00:51:29.059 --> 00:51:30.400
 to them who he was,

00:51:30.460 --> 00:51:31.380
 that he was indeed

00:51:31.380 --> 00:51:33.000
 Christ, risen from

00:51:33.000 --> 00:51:34.960
 the dead, as they

00:51:34.960 --> 00:51:36.000
 then reflected on him

00:51:36.000 --> 00:51:37.039
 as he eventually

00:51:37.039 --> 00:51:38.440
 disappeared from sight,

00:51:38.440 --> 00:51:40.059
 and went out of

00:51:40.059 --> 00:51:40.539
 their company.

00:51:42.159 --> 00:51:43.840
 Did not our heart

00:51:43.840 --> 00:51:44.980
 burn within us

00:51:44.980 --> 00:51:47.019
 while he explained

00:51:47.019 --> 00:51:47.740
 to us the

00:51:47.740 --> 00:51:48.119
 scriptures?

00:51:48.860 --> 00:51:49.639
 He opened the

00:51:49.639 --> 00:51:49.980
 scriptures.

00:51:50.300 --> 00:51:50.920
 He opened their

00:51:50.920 --> 00:51:52.079
 minds to understand

00:51:52.079 --> 00:51:53.300
 the scriptures, the

00:51:53.300 --> 00:51:54.360
 beauty of his speech,

00:51:54.460 --> 00:51:55.139
 the beauty of his

00:51:55.139 --> 00:51:56.200
 words, the beauty of

00:51:56.200 --> 00:51:57.679
 his person, and they

00:51:57.679 --> 00:51:59.900
 realized this is who

00:51:59.900 --> 00:52:00.639
 he is.

00:52:01.420 --> 00:52:02.579
 He's risen from the

00:52:02.579 --> 00:52:02.880
 dead.

00:52:03.860 --> 00:52:05.159
 He's not lost the

00:52:05.159 --> 00:52:05.519
 battle.

00:52:05.519 --> 00:52:07.579
 He's actually the

00:52:07.579 --> 00:52:08.119
 victor.

00:52:09.320 --> 00:52:10.139
 He's conquered

00:52:10.139 --> 00:52:10.719
 death.

00:52:11.380 --> 00:52:12.500
 He's beaten sin.

00:52:13.259 --> 00:52:14.500
 He's overcome all

00:52:14.500 --> 00:52:14.980
 of that.

00:52:15.980 --> 00:52:17.199
 And so we overcome

00:52:17.199 --> 00:52:17.699
 with him.

00:52:18.659 --> 00:52:20.159
 And by him and by

00:52:20.159 --> 00:52:21.599
 being joined with

00:52:21.599 --> 00:52:23.500
 him, we come

00:52:23.500 --> 00:52:25.360
 indeed to share in

00:52:25.360 --> 00:52:26.400
 that victory that is

00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:26.719
 his.

00:52:28.280 --> 00:52:30.340
 See the way in which

00:52:30.340 --> 00:52:31.179
 he appeals here,

00:52:31.239 --> 00:52:31.739
 verse 3,

00:52:31.739 --> 00:52:33.159
 gird your sword on

00:52:33.159 --> 00:52:34.779
 your thigh, almighty

00:52:34.779 --> 00:52:36.000
 one in your splendor

00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:36.719
 and majesty.

00:52:37.639 --> 00:52:39.479
 And then think about

00:52:39.479 --> 00:52:40.559
 the difference between

00:52:40.559 --> 00:52:42.979
 a sword used in an

00:52:42.979 --> 00:52:43.739
 actual battle

00:52:43.739 --> 00:52:45.879
 situation and the

00:52:45.879 --> 00:52:46.699
 sword that you find

00:52:46.699 --> 00:52:47.639
 in a ceremonial

00:52:47.639 --> 00:52:48.259
 situation.

00:52:48.419 --> 00:52:50.000
 Well, the sword that

00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:50.959
 Jesus uses,

00:52:51.179 --> 00:52:52.239
 spiritually of course,

00:52:52.319 --> 00:52:53.059
 again, is not a

00:52:53.059 --> 00:52:54.099
 ceremonial sword.

00:52:54.479 --> 00:52:55.919
 It's one by which

00:52:55.919 --> 00:52:57.279
 he conquers and goes

00:52:57.279 --> 00:52:58.059
 out and brings

00:52:58.059 --> 00:52:59.839
 people into subjection

00:52:59.839 --> 00:53:00.359
 to himself.

00:53:00.360 --> 00:53:01.340
 The sword of his

00:53:01.340 --> 00:53:02.280
 truth, the sword of

00:53:02.280 --> 00:53:03.980
 the Spirit, the Word

00:53:03.980 --> 00:53:04.559
 of God.

00:53:07.039 --> 00:53:08.539
 And his cause is the

00:53:08.539 --> 00:53:10.099
 most worthy of all.

00:53:10.180 --> 00:53:11.220
 I'll finish with this.

00:53:12.880 --> 00:53:13.860
 You know that in

00:53:13.860 --> 00:53:15.420
 actual battle

00:53:15.420 --> 00:53:18.059
 situations, it's

00:53:18.059 --> 00:53:18.920
 almost always the

00:53:18.920 --> 00:53:19.740
 case that each

00:53:19.740 --> 00:53:21.140
 regiment has their

00:53:21.140 --> 00:53:21.980
 own colors, the

00:53:21.980 --> 00:53:22.960
 ensign or the flag,

00:53:23.039 --> 00:53:23.660
 you might call it.

00:53:23.800 --> 00:53:25.120
 It's a standard.

00:53:25.320 --> 00:53:25.940
 It's an ensign.

00:53:26.079 --> 00:53:26.860
 It's called the

00:53:26.860 --> 00:53:28.000
 regimental colors.

00:53:28.000 --> 00:53:30.159
 You'll find these

00:53:30.159 --> 00:53:30.920
 used on different

00:53:30.920 --> 00:53:32.460
 parades, even formal

00:53:32.460 --> 00:53:32.920
 parades.

00:53:33.039 --> 00:53:33.619
 But in an actual

00:53:33.619 --> 00:53:34.780
 battle situation,

00:53:35.840 --> 00:53:36.860
 almost always the

00:53:36.860 --> 00:53:38.019
 colors, the ensign,

00:53:38.119 --> 00:53:39.039
 goes before the

00:53:39.039 --> 00:53:40.000
 troops into battle.

00:53:40.079 --> 00:53:40.559
 They take their

00:53:40.559 --> 00:53:42.320
 inspiration from the

00:53:42.320 --> 00:53:43.119
 colors of the

00:53:43.119 --> 00:53:43.460
 regiment.

00:53:44.039 --> 00:53:44.559
 And they follow

00:53:44.559 --> 00:53:45.800
 whoever is carrying

00:53:45.800 --> 00:53:47.960
 the regimental colors

00:53:47.960 --> 00:53:48.599
 into battle.

00:53:48.679 --> 00:53:49.559
 They follow on from

00:53:49.559 --> 00:53:49.840
 that.

00:53:50.579 --> 00:53:51.119
 They take their

00:53:51.119 --> 00:53:52.000
 inspiration from that.

00:53:52.059 --> 00:53:52.599
 That's what gives

00:53:52.599 --> 00:53:53.719
 them, in a sense,

00:53:53.780 --> 00:53:54.940
 the courage to follow

00:53:54.940 --> 00:53:56.380
 it into battle, to

00:53:56.380 --> 00:53:57.400
 engage on behalf of

00:53:57.400 --> 00:53:58.380
 the cause that

00:53:58.380 --> 00:53:58.900
 they're fighting

00:53:58.900 --> 00:53:59.280
 for.

00:53:59.360 --> 00:54:00.920
 Well, the regimental

00:54:00.920 --> 00:54:02.860
 colors of Jesus are

00:54:02.860 --> 00:54:04.180
 inscribed with three

00:54:04.180 --> 00:54:05.180
 great words.

00:54:05.599 --> 00:54:07.320
 This is the regimental

00:54:07.320 --> 00:54:08.720
 motto, if you like.

00:54:09.400 --> 00:54:10.240
 You'll find it in the

00:54:10.240 --> 00:54:12.300
 psalm, in verse 4,

00:54:12.380 --> 00:54:14.019
 and your majesty, ride

00:54:14.019 --> 00:54:15.119
 out victoriously.

00:54:15.240 --> 00:54:15.800
 And here are the

00:54:15.800 --> 00:54:16.519
 battle colors.

00:54:16.880 --> 00:54:17.760
 Here is the ensign.

00:54:17.820 --> 00:54:18.680
 Here's the standard.

00:54:19.380 --> 00:54:20.380
 Here's the regimental

00:54:20.380 --> 00:54:22.760
 colors for meekness, for

00:54:22.760 --> 00:54:24.599
 the cause of truth and

00:54:24.599 --> 00:54:25.380
 meekness and

00:54:25.380 --> 00:54:25.880
 righteousness.

00:54:26.140 --> 00:54:26.720
 These are the great

00:54:26.720 --> 00:54:28.000
 words inscribed,

00:54:28.160 --> 00:54:29.099
 embroidered, if you

00:54:29.099 --> 00:54:31.019
 like, heavily onto this

00:54:31.019 --> 00:54:33.579
 standard, the ensign of

00:54:33.579 --> 00:54:33.960
 Jesus.

00:54:34.980 --> 00:54:36.860
 And as you see Jesus

00:54:36.860 --> 00:54:38.140
 going before His people,

00:54:39.519 --> 00:54:41.180
 so this ensign gives you

00:54:41.180 --> 00:54:42.840
 the encouragement and

00:54:42.840 --> 00:54:44.160
 the confidence to follow

00:54:44.160 --> 00:54:45.119
 Him and the inspiration

00:54:45.119 --> 00:54:46.820
 to follow Him, because

00:54:46.820 --> 00:54:47.960
 that's really a description

00:54:47.960 --> 00:54:49.760
 ultimately of Himself,

00:54:49.960 --> 00:54:52.140
 truth and meekness and

00:54:52.140 --> 00:54:52.720
 righteousness.

00:54:52.719 --> 00:54:55.899
 How do we face the

00:54:55.899 --> 00:54:58.699
 assault made upon the

00:54:58.699 --> 00:55:00.099
 cause of Christ by

00:55:00.099 --> 00:55:02.739
 falseness, by lies, by

00:55:02.739 --> 00:55:03.879
 false teaching, by

00:55:03.879 --> 00:55:05.359
 distortions of the

00:55:05.359 --> 00:55:05.719
 gospel?

00:55:06.299 --> 00:55:08.899
 How do we counteract the

00:55:08.899 --> 00:55:10.659
 pride, the brashness, the

00:55:10.659 --> 00:55:12.379
 arrogance of human

00:55:12.379 --> 00:55:14.779
 antagonism to God and to

00:55:14.779 --> 00:55:15.439
 His gospel?

00:55:15.440 --> 00:55:18.500
 How do you react to the

00:55:18.500 --> 00:55:20.440
 sin, the immorality that

00:55:20.440 --> 00:55:22.579
 is in your own heart and

00:55:22.579 --> 00:55:23.780
 also in the world, as you

00:55:23.780 --> 00:55:24.900
 see the word living without

00:55:24.900 --> 00:55:25.400
 God?

00:55:26.400 --> 00:55:27.179
 You follow the

00:55:27.179 --> 00:55:27.780
 ensign.

00:55:28.579 --> 00:55:29.920
 You take your inspiration

00:55:29.920 --> 00:55:31.320
 from Jesus Himself, this

00:55:31.320 --> 00:55:33.420
 wonderful, beautiful, mighty

00:55:33.420 --> 00:55:33.880
 King.

00:55:36.440 --> 00:55:39.440
 And for the sake of meekness

00:55:39.440 --> 00:55:41.740
 holiness and truth and

00:55:41.740 --> 00:55:44.420
 righteousness, you follow

00:55:44.420 --> 00:55:45.099
 the colors.

00:55:46.679 --> 00:55:49.039
 You engage with all the

00:55:49.039 --> 00:55:51.340
 disanimity with Christ on

00:55:51.340 --> 00:55:53.260
 His behalf and as His

00:55:53.260 --> 00:55:53.679
 people.

00:55:55.320 --> 00:55:56.380
 And that's what the

00:55:56.380 --> 00:55:57.659
 psalm sets out for us.

00:55:58.780 --> 00:56:00.440
 The beauty of Jesus and the

00:56:00.440 --> 00:56:03.440
 might of Jesus, His cause is

00:56:04.039 --> 00:56:05.320
 the most worthy of all.

00:56:06.360 --> 00:56:07.780
 And His cause is a cause that

00:56:07.780 --> 00:56:09.760
 we take up when we follow

00:56:09.760 --> 00:56:10.019
 Him.

00:56:10.980 --> 00:56:12.660
 And just as He heads up His

00:56:12.660 --> 00:56:14.640
 people for the cause of

00:56:14.640 --> 00:56:15.740
 truth and meekness and

00:56:15.740 --> 00:56:17.920
 righteousness, so that's

00:56:17.920 --> 00:56:19.160
 what we take to ourselves.

00:56:19.940 --> 00:56:22.840
 And for truth and meekness

00:56:22.840 --> 00:56:24.740
 and righteousness, these

00:56:24.740 --> 00:56:26.560
 great spiritual qualities and

00:56:26.560 --> 00:56:28.900
 moral qualities, we follow

00:56:28.900 --> 00:56:29.160
 Him.

00:56:30.160 --> 00:56:31.260
 And we follow Him into

00:56:31.260 --> 00:56:33.860
 engagement and battle with

00:56:33.860 --> 00:56:35.480
 everything that is at enmity

00:56:35.480 --> 00:56:36.960
 with Himself.

00:56:36.960 --> 00:56:38.639
 and with His people.

00:56:40.380 --> 00:56:41.900
 But let me finish with a

00:56:41.900 --> 00:56:42.280
 question.

00:56:45.320 --> 00:56:46.679
 Who is your King?

00:56:49.240 --> 00:56:50.639
 Whose colors are you

00:56:50.639 --> 00:56:51.000
 following?

00:56:52.880 --> 00:56:54.340
 What's inscribed on the

00:56:54.340 --> 00:56:55.659
 ensign of your life?

00:56:57.099 --> 00:56:59.679
 Is Jesus today your great

00:56:59.679 --> 00:57:00.000
 King?

00:57:00.000 --> 00:57:04.500
 Is His cause the most worthy

00:57:04.500 --> 00:57:06.760
 and important cause for you

00:57:06.760 --> 00:57:07.320
 to follow?

00:57:08.639 --> 00:57:11.539
 Have you truly entered into

00:57:11.539 --> 00:57:14.800
 the regiment of Christ, the

00:57:14.800 --> 00:57:17.880
 regiment of the saved, who

00:57:17.880 --> 00:57:19.559
 has our allegiance today?

00:57:21.159 --> 00:57:22.139
 Christmas time.

00:57:22.139 --> 00:57:23.139
 God's name.

00:57:23.139 --> 00:57:26.879
 The word became flesh and

00:57:26.879 --> 00:57:27.879
 dwelt among us.

00:57:29.159 --> 00:57:32.819
 We beheld His glory, glory as

00:57:32.819 --> 00:57:34.139
 of the only begotten of the

00:57:34.139 --> 00:57:36.879
 Father, full of grace and

00:57:36.879 --> 00:57:37.319
 truth.

00:57:38.619 --> 00:57:39.679
 That's our King.

00:57:40.980 --> 00:57:42.000
 He's our King.

00:57:42.000 --> 00:57:46.099
 And we are to live as His

00:57:46.099 --> 00:57:46.480
 people.

00:57:47.880 --> 00:57:50.639
 May God bless these thoughts on

00:57:50.639 --> 00:57:51.619
 His word to us.

00:57:52.539 --> 00:57:54.159
 We're going to conclude our

00:57:54.159 --> 00:57:55.280
 service just now singing in

00:57:55.280 --> 00:57:56.179
 Psalm 24.

00:57:57.679 --> 00:57:59.320
 Psalm 24 in the Scottish

00:57:59.320 --> 00:58:01.820
 Psalter version on page 230.

00:58:01.820 --> 00:58:08.840
 singing verses 7 to 10.

00:58:10.059 --> 00:58:11.440
 Ye gates lift up your heads

00:58:11.440 --> 00:58:11.960
 on high.

00:58:12.700 --> 00:58:14.059
 Ye doors that last for

00:58:14.059 --> 00:58:15.140
 a be lifted up.

00:58:15.820 --> 00:58:17.580
 That so the King of glory

00:58:17.580 --> 00:58:18.380
 enter me.

00:58:19.320 --> 00:58:20.720
 But who of glory is the

00:58:20.720 --> 00:58:20.980
 King?

00:58:21.420 --> 00:58:23.100
 The mighty Lord is this.

00:58:23.800 --> 00:58:25.260
 Even that same Lord that

00:58:25.260 --> 00:58:27.360
 great in might and strong

00:58:27.360 --> 00:58:29.580
 in battle is.

00:58:29.579 --> 00:58:31.819
 And as we read and sing

00:58:31.819 --> 00:58:32.940
 these verses, let's think

00:58:32.940 --> 00:58:34.739
 of them as the doors of

00:58:34.739 --> 00:58:36.119
 our heart being opened up.

00:58:36.799 --> 00:58:38.199
 The gates of our heart to

00:58:38.199 --> 00:58:39.880
 receive and to admit.

00:58:40.340 --> 00:58:42.860
 Once again the King as we

00:58:42.860 --> 00:58:43.420
 follow Him.

00:58:44.360 --> 00:58:45.559
 So these verses, ye gates

00:58:45.559 --> 00:58:47.579
 lift up your heads on high.

00:58:51.579 --> 00:58:56.380
 Ye gates lift up your heads

00:58:56.380 --> 00:58:59.259
 on high.

00:58:59.579 --> 00:59:02.819
 In yours and us all

00:59:02.819 --> 00:59:04.559
 name.

00:59:04.739 --> 00:59:08.199
 Ye gates lift up that

00:59:08.199 --> 00:59:12.319
 saw the King of glory

00:59:12.319 --> 00:59:15.420
 enter me.

00:59:15.920 --> 00:59:20.819
 But who of glory is the

00:59:20.819 --> 00:59:22.019
 King?

00:59:22.019 --> 00:59:27.679
 The mighty Lord is this.

00:59:27.679 --> 00:59:32.919
 He gates lift up your head,

00:59:32.919 --> 00:59:34.219
 in the Lord that great in might

00:59:34.219 --> 00:59:39.480
 and strong in battle is.

00:59:39.480 --> 00:59:46.019
 In the Lord that great in might

00:59:46.019 --> 00:59:52.059
 and strong in battle is.

00:59:52.059 --> 01:00:00.299
 He lifted up your heads, ye doors,

01:00:00.299 --> 01:00:00.880
 He lifted up your heads, ye doors,

01:00:00.880 --> 01:00:06.239
 Lord, start to last for aid.

01:00:06.239 --> 01:00:07.519
 He lifted up your head, ye doors, and

01:00:07.519 --> 01:00:07.699
 he lifted up your head, ye doors, and

01:00:07.699 --> 01:00:11.619
 he lifted up your head, ye doors, and

01:00:11.619 --> 01:00:12.579
 the King of glory enter me.

01:00:12.579 --> 01:00:14.259
 of glory

01:00:14.259 --> 01:00:16.579
 enter me.

01:00:17.840 --> 01:00:18.619
 But

01:00:18.619 --> 01:00:21.039
 who is he

01:00:21.039 --> 01:00:22.440
 that is

01:00:22.440 --> 01:00:24.319
 the king,

01:00:24.719 --> 01:00:26.519
 the king of

01:00:26.519 --> 01:00:28.779
 glory who

01:00:28.779 --> 01:00:30.900
 is this?

01:00:31.319 --> 01:00:32.860
 The Lord

01:00:32.860 --> 01:00:34.319
 of hosts

01:00:34.319 --> 01:00:36.579
 and round the

01:00:36.579 --> 01:00:39.039
 king, the king

01:00:39.039 --> 01:00:40.960
 of glory

01:00:40.960 --> 01:00:42.840
 is.

01:00:43.240 --> 01:00:44.920
 The Lord

01:00:44.920 --> 01:00:47.280
 of hosts and

01:00:47.280 --> 01:00:48.760
 round the

01:00:48.760 --> 01:00:50.960
 king, the king

01:00:51.679 --> 01:00:54.240
 of glory

01:00:54.240 --> 01:00:54.960
 is.

01:00:57.699 --> 01:00:58.960
 Alleluia!

01:00:59.960 --> 01:01:00.960
 Alleluia!

01:01:03.460 --> 01:01:04.960
 Alleluia!

01:01:04.960 --> 01:01:05.960
 Alleluia!

01:01:07.059 --> 01:01:08.960
 Alleluia!

01:01:08.960 --> 01:01:10.360
 Alleluia!

01:01:10.960 --> 01:01:14.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:17.320 --> 01:01:18.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:20.500 --> 01:01:22.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:22.920 --> 01:01:23.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:23.920 --> 01:01:24.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:24.920 --> 01:01:26.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:26.920 --> 01:01:28.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:28.920 --> 01:01:30.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:30.920 --> 01:01:31.920
 Alleluia!

01:01:31.920 --> 01:01:33.780
 Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

01:01:33.780 --> 01:01:35.179
 the love of God the Father,

01:01:35.679 --> 01:01:37.400
 and the communion of the Holy Spirit

01:01:37.400 --> 01:01:39.679
 be with you now and evermore.

01:01:39.679 --> 01:01:40.639
 Amen.

01:01:40.639 --> 01:01:40.679
 Amen.