Let us begin our worship of God. Let us sing to him from Psalm 61 of the Sing Psalms.
Psalm 61, Sing Psalms version, you find that on page 78 of the Blue Book.
And we'll sing from verses 1 down to verse Mark 5.
O hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.
From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me.
O God, conduct me to the rock that's higher far than I.
For you are my refuge from the foe, my tower of strength on high.
O let me dwell within your tent, forever there to live.
O for the shelter of your wings, the refuge which they give.
For you have heard my vows, O God, and you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name continually.
That psalm that there where David speaks and comes to God in his weaknesses, in his cry.
Desiring to come and be close to God, conduct me to the rock.
And it says that he has a desire in verse 8, at the conclusion of the psalm, to come and praise his name.
We won't sing that verse, but that is what we do when we gather.
So we'll sing this psalm, verses 1 down to verse Mark 5.
The tune is, Whether be O hear my urgent cry, my God.
O hear my urgent cry, my God.
And listen to my fear.
From the earth's remote, there's arms I call, where my heart faints in me.
O God, come and grant me to the rock.
As I am found an eye.
For you, my refuge from the poor, my child of strength for life.
O let ye dwell within your care, forever dare to live.
O Lord, the children of your wings, the left you rest in me.
What you have heard, my love so long.
And you have given me.
The heaven of those who fear your name, on January.
So now we'll say a short prayer before we do our children's talk and before they go into Sunday school.
So let us pray together.
Our Heavenly Father, we thank you again for this new day that you have given to us.
And how gracious you are to us to give us all things that are good.
Help us, Lord, that we would be thankful to you for all that you have done.
And we'll be thankful for everyone that you have put around us.
We thank you for our parents.
We thank you for brothers or sisters.
We thank you for grannies and grandpas.
We thank you, Lord, for everyone that is here.
And Lord, we thank you that you have given us Bibles to read.
And pray that we would understand what the Bible says to us.
That we would learn about Jesus.
And all that Jesus has done for us.
And all that Jesus continues to do for us.
So, Lord, we pray for our understanding of who you are.
We pray for the children as they gather next door.
We pray for the teachers as they teach them truths of the Bible.
Lord, we pray for the children as they do these things.
And we pray that questions that they have will be answered.
And that they would come to know who Jesus Christ is.
And that he is a Savior that died on the cross for them.
So that we may live and have confidence in the life that we live.
So we ask that you be with us.
Forgive us our sins, we pray.
All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
Okay, boys and girls.
Just want to say a short word to you before you go into Sunday school.
I think today you're going to be learning about the apostles and the disciples.
And how they spoke about Jesus.
And who he was.
And how they were so excited to tell others about Jesus.
So you, boys and girls, are going to be learning about the disciples.
And we, the older ones, are going to look at Psalm 40.
And that is also a psalm that tells of a person that was not ashamed to speak about Jesus.
And all that he had done for him.
And when they're speaking because they're so excited and so happy.
Something good has happened to them.
Now, when something good happens to you.
If you're out and about and then you come home.
You want to tell your parents.
You know, what happened to you?
Mom, Dad, you'll never guess what happened when I was out.
So and so happened.
Or I saw so and so.
Or something happened that was so exciting.
And you know, I was in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago.
And I was just in Tesco.
Just going to buy something.
And there were two people talking beside me.
And they were so excited about what they were speaking about.
Me and the person that was there to me.
We didn't know what they were talking about.
But we both sort of turned and looked at them.
Because of the way they spoke to each other.
They were so excited.
And they were saying, yes, it's so great.
And I was thinking, well, I was wondering what they were talking about.
And so was the lady that was serving me.
She asked them, what are you talking about?
And it turned out they were talking about a caramel Kit Kat.
This new caramel Kit Kat.
Other chocolates are available.
I don't want to advertise that.
But they were so passionate about this new thing that had come out.
It was a new version.
And, you know, I just thought, isn't it amazing that we were just watching and seeing them talking.
And how they had this connection with one another about what was so good.
And they were telling each other about what this was so great.
And this is what the apostles were doing and the disciples were doing.
Jesus had done something that was so great.
The greatest thing in the world.
He had died and he had risen.
And they wanted to tell everyone.
But some people didn't like it.
Because it was so exciting.
And because everyone was looking and wondering, what are these disciples talking about?
It was like me when I was looking and saying, something exciting is happening.
I don't know what it is.
But other people, they weren't happy.
Because everyone was listening to the disciples.
And telling them about Jesus.
And so they sought to put them to jail.
But one thing is very important that they did.
They said that they must talk about God.
And they must do what God has told them to do.
And you know what, boys and girls?
We have the greatest news in the world in our Bibles.
And that's what it's called.
It's called the good news.
It's called the gospel.
The good news.
Because we have good news, like the disciples did, about Jesus.
And I hope and pray that we will be able to speak to each other and tell each other
about what Jesus has done for me.
And even the older ones.
And that excitement about what Jesus has done for me.
And that others may see and wonder at what this man has done and can do for them.
I wanted to try this new Kit Kat.
I still haven't.
I thought I didn't need it.
But we all need Jesus.
And I pray that we would all find Jesus and know him.
So I pray that you'd be blessed in your time together as you go through to Sunday school.
And as you go through to Sunday school, all the kids that are, all the younger ones that are upstairs,
can you come down and go out this door here beside Roddy?
The deacons, the men on the door will help you and direct you.
Just because it's very windy at the front, you can all come down, come down the sides,
and then come out this door here.
So you don't get blown away.
We just want to keep you safe.
Okay.
So thank you for listening to me.
We'll continue in our praise by singing in Psalm 119 of the Scottish Psalter.
Psalm 119 in the Scottish Psalter.
That's on page 404 of the Blue Book.
We'll sing that section from verse 49 down to 56.
Remember, Lord, thy gracious word, thou to thy servants speak,
which for a ground of my sure hope thou caused me to take.
This word of thine my comfort is in mine affliction,
for in my straits I am revived.
By this thy word alone.
The psalmist relies on the word of God
and his love for the word of God
and his value of the word of God
comes through in this psalm as we sing it.
And it is something that we as believers in the Lord
are likened to,
thank him for the words that he has given to us.
So we'll sing this psalm to God's praise,
to the tune St. Andrew.
Remember, Lord, thy gracious word.
We stand to sing.
Amen.
Remember, Lord, thy gracious word.
How do thy servants speak?
Which for a ground of my sure hope thou cost me to take?
This warm, Lord, thy might come for this,
in my affection.
For in my chains I am revived.
By this thy heart alone.
The man whose heart will drive our star,
If he need be right,
Yet on thy ship from hand-bent,
I have not turned aside.
Thy judgment's right,
O Lord, thy trust, O Lord,
O Lord,
which thou of hope for him.
I bid, ye men, but run myself,
By death, come for did I.
O Lord, my God, my God, my God, my God,
I bid, ye men, but run myself,
By death, come for did I.
Come for did I.
Or are to hold on me because
He'll make thy law forsake.
How in my hearts of peril will be.
Thy laws my song to lead.
Thy name by night, Lord, I divine, and I have yet I own.
And this high land equals high Lord, I get done soon in all.
If we can turn to our Bibles now and take our first reading.
We've got two readings this morning.
Our first reading will be from Paul's letter to Ephesians.
Chapter 2.
We'll read a short section there and then we'll read from Psalm 40 afterwards.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2, and we'll read from the beginning.
Let us hear the word of God.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked,
following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience,
among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,
carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
By grace you have been saved.
And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages he might show what is the immeasurable riches of his grace
and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing.
It is the gift of God,
not a result of works so that no one may boast.
For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Amen.
May we turn also to Psalm 40, the book of Psalms.
We'll look at Psalm 40 today.
So Psalm 40, we'll read from the beginning.
I waited patiently for the Lord.
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
or to those who go astray after a lie.
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds,
and your thoughts towards us.
None can compare with you.
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
Amen.
May the reading of God's word
be a blessing to each and every one of us.
May we turn to God in prayer
as we prepare our hearts.
Our Heavenly Father,
we come to you again
as thinking of ourselves as little children.
We think we know the way,
but often we need to be directed.
We need to be shown,
we need to be corrected.
And Lord, we come to you,
acknowledging this,
that we are in need of direction.
We are weak as we come before you,
for you are mightier than we are.
And Lord,
give us reverence in our hearts
as we come to you in prayer.
Each of us in our own hearts,
the prayers that are silent
and the prayers that are all.
Lord,
give us reverence
as we behold your beauty.
May it shine forth from your word today
as we consider it.
Give us ears of understanding.
Unblock our eyes to see
the beauties of Christ Jesus
and all that he has done for us
and the security we can have in him
if only we trust in him.
Lord, that all of us who are gathered here
would exercise our trust and faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ,
for in whom there is no other.
There is no other to whom we can compare.
There is no other to whom we can trust.
But you, O God.
We thank you for each one that is gathered here.
And we pray that your word would speak
a word in season to the soul and hearts of each.
We pray for those who are online
and we are mindful of them.
We are thankful for this provision that we have,
especially this day.
Lord, we pray that you would protect us
by the power of the nature that is around us.
And through this,
we see the power of you, O God,
and how weak we are.
Lord, be gracious to us
and merciful.
Lord, be gracious to us.
Protect us, O Lord,
from the wrath that is to come.
And we find that protection in Christ Jesus.
Is it not true that we have the greatest news
in the world for the world?
We have the greatest news in Christ Jesus
that he is the one that will protect us
from the wrath that is to come,
that is deserving of us for our sins.
For we have admitted that we have followed
the passions of our flesh
and the desires of our body.
Lord, we confess our sins to you today.
We confess them because you are one
that can forgive them.
And you are the only forgiver of sins.
You are the great high priest
that takes them
and intercedes for us on our behalf.
Lord, let each of us
put our trust in you this day.
We pray for our nation.
We pray for those who govern over us
that you would give them your wisdom.
And Lord, direct us in your ways
and not the ways of our flesh,
the passions of our flesh.
Lord, we pray for laws and legislations
that have been passed,
that they would be overturned.
And that we would return
to being guided by your word
and the wisdom of it.
Lord, we pray for our nation
and the efforts that are made
across it this day,
your day,
the day that you rose from the dead.
that that would be proclaimed
to the people.
Jesus Christ has overcome death.
And so you can overcome death too
if you would only trust in him.
Lord, we pray
that you would be amongst us.
And in every effort that is made,
we acknowledge that
if your spirit does not go with us,
we can do no good of ourselves.
So we pray
that your spirit would bless
our gathering here
and enlighten our minds
and pray that your spirit would go
amongst our island and our nation
and everywhere where the gospel is preached.
Lord, we know that
we preach the gospel
poorly and many times.
But it is not how we preach it.
It is how you apply it
to believers' hearts.
So Lord, be effective
to those that mourn.
Lord, encourage them
and comfort them.
There are many mourning
in our community,
in our island and our nation.
Lord, we ask that you would
be with them
to many to name.
Many have lost mothers.
Some have lost fathers.
Some have lost grandparents
and grandmothers.
Brothers and sisters,
aunties and uncles.
And we pray
for those who have lost
sons and daughters,
that you would comfort them
in the difficulties
that they face
and the questions
which they have.
Lord,
wrap your loved arms
around them
and be a protector
to them
in these days
that will be difficult
and the weeks
and months
that lie ahead for them.
we pray
that you would be
with them
in all things.
We pray
for our young
and we pray
for the young
that gather next door
that they would see
and know
the riches
of Jesus Christ
and come
to trust in him.
We pray
for each of us
who are believers here
that you would
encourage us
in your way
and give us
strength
in every step
that we take.
We pray
for the unconverted
that you would
speak with them
and that you would
awaken their conscience
to be turned to God.
See the plight
of their situation
in which they lie
without Christ
and turn them
to you in Christ
to rely upon
the one
who can forgive
and the one
who can free them
from the weight
of sin
that will burden them.
Lord, we pray
be over us
as we look at your word
guide our minds
protect our minds
from the thoughts
that are
not a building
give us a focus
on your word
a focus on Christ
a focus on the wonders
that you have done
for us.
Be with us
we pray
may your spirit
accompany us
and bless
your word
as it is read
and preached
all this we ask
in the name
of your son
and our saviour
the Lord
Jesus Christ
Amen.
May we continue
in our praise
to God
in Psalm
26
of the Sing Psalms
Psalm 26
of the Sing Psalms
you'll find that
on page 30
of the Blue Book
and we'll sing
from one
down to
verse mark
eight
Declare me
innocent
O Lord
I've walked
in blameless ways
and I have trusted
in the Lord
not wavering
all my days
Test me
O Lord
and try my heart
my thoughts
survey
your love
surrounds me
from your truth
my feet
will never
stray
I'll tell of all
your awesome deeds
verse 7
proclaiming loud
your voice
your glory
fills your dwelling
place
I love your house
always
the one who trusts
and relies on God
and the one who has
the heart
to come to worship him
let us sing this
psalm to the tune
Palerma
Declare me
innocent
O Lord
and we'll stand to sing
Declare me
innocent
O Lord
I've walked
in blameless ways
and I have trusted
in the Lord
Lord
clear me
all my days
test me
O Lord
and try
my heart
my impulse
for
serene
your love
surrounds me
from your truth
God
I
God
I
believe
I hate the weakness gathering.
With them I will not sit.
I wash my hands in him, O sin.
And endless is my heart.
I go abroad, dear altar Lord,
The place you set apart.
I tell all your awesome deeds,
Proclaim in large your praise.
Your glory fills your dwelling place.
I love you once always.
If we could turn and look at,
For a time that we have left in Psalm 40,
And God willing over the next three Sundays,
I hope that we can make steps through this psalm together.
This is one of the well-known psalms.
One that we learned when we were young.
One that is on par with Psalm 23 or Psalm 100.
There's many one that Christians that sit here,
Or those who listen online,
Can say,
This psalm has a special place in my heart.
It is maybe one of the psalms that is a favorite for us to sing when we are in fellowship together.
Or it is a psalm where we may come and read it in the silence of our own hearts,
And the solitude that we have with God.
It is a psalm that speaks of tribulation.
Tribulation, it is one fitting for tribulation.
It is one fitting for times of pain and anguish.
But it is also one that we sing when we rejoice and come in thanks to God.
Psalm 40 has a sympathetic bond with us, we can say.
And rightly so has become a psalm that is cherished by many of the Lord's people.
And in our consideration of this psalm over the next few weeks,
We'll divide it sensibly into three parts.
Our first part today will take us down to where we read the end of verse Mark 5.
And we can call this the waiting on God.
The psalmist waits upon the Lord.
The second part we'll take from verse 6 down to the end of verse Mark 10.
And we can call that the worship of God.
And finally from 11 down to the end of the psalm,
We can call that the walk that we have with God.
And each week hopefully we'll take a passage from Ephesians
To parallel what Psalm 40 and the psalmist speaks to us.
So an overlook in a sense of the psalm.
And something that aids our remembrance of what the psalm means is the wait on God,
The worship of God and the walking with God.
And I hope in the next few weeks all this will become clearer.
But on the outside, as we look at this psalm,
And we stand back from this psalm,
You know, is it not often the case in the Christian's experience
That we are often forced to wait on God.
And we feel every second of that wait.
It is not a passive wait.
It is not a half-hearted wait that we have.
As the psalmist here on the words of the psalm portray it,
As all his words are consuming,
Of his waiting in the midst of struggle and distress.
And then on the relief of the wait that he experiences,
And the relief that we experience as Christians,
When God hears and God answers,
We find that, well, we cannot but come and worship God.
We cannot but come and thank him for what he has done for us.
And we desire to be closer with him,
And to know him better.
And he gives us the strength to walk.
And it is only by his strength,
That we are unable to walk through the difficulties of this world,
And the tribulations of it.
But maybe the greatest thing about this psalm,
Is that though he goes through these experiences,
And we go through these experiences,
The psalmist does not polish them,
As magical perfections of the Christian life.
But they come with ease.
They come with many difficulties.
You know, when we tell a testimony of what the Lord has done for us,
We may be guilty of not maybe fully explaining the difficulties that we go into,
Because of the personalness and privacy of the difficulties.
But the psalmist here portrays that,
Well, he waited on God.
And he longingly waited,
Patiently waited,
And he walked with God,
In a way that was not an easy walk either.
We all find ourselves somewhere,
I think,
In the words of Psalm 40.
I hope you do.
Even if you're not a Christian,
May these words speak to you,
And may God,
By his power,
Speak to our hearts,
As we look at this psalm.
So let us turn our attention,
To the first passage of this psalm.
And we'll look at the trust we have first,
In verses 1 to 2.
We'll look at the transformation,
That comes about in verse 3.
And the testimony of the psalmist,
From verse 4 to 5.
We have the trust,
The transformation,
And the testimony,
In this first section.
I waited patiently for the Lord.
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me from the pit of destruction,
Out of the miry bog,
And set my feet upon a rock,
Making my steps secure.
The psalmist's trust is in this situation.
David here is actually recalling or reminiscing
Over a past experience.
I didn't appreciate this until I looked and studied the psalm.
You can see that it is all written in the past tense,
This first few verses.
He waited.
It is a past experience.
The psalmist refers to this particular experience that he went through.
And that he found himself in a grave affliction or trial in this experience.
And where does he write this psalm as he looks back, I thought.
We're not told exactly what this psalm relates to in the experience of David.
Just that it was a time of tribulation.
But I wondered,
Well, where was he as he wrote the psalm?
Well, I thought that he would be in a place of peace and security.
He would be resting in his home,
Recalling what the Lord had done for him.
But it is actually not the case.
If you look at verse 17,
The psalmist says,
As for me,
He speaks in the present tense,
I am poor and needy.
But the Lord takes thought of me,
For me.
The psalmist is, in a sense,
In another tribulation and difficulty.
And he is forced,
Maybe we could say,
To recall,
In his tribulation,
I have been here before.
And I trusted in the Lord.
And he did not leave me.
He did not forsake me.
He was faithful to me.
He remembers that he never let him down.
He restored his soul.
And in his remembrance,
He finds himself his own reassurance.
Trusting in the one
Who relieved him from that tribulation.
And we go through many tribulations.
The psalmist, in a sense,
Is not hiding the fact of the tribulation.
That he goes through.
But maybe we have never been through
Something so difficult before.
And it is,
For us as older Christians,
Examples that we must portray clearly
What the Lord has done for us.
And not hide,
When we speak of God,
What he has taken me from.
From the tribulations.
And the difficulty I experienced.
Before the Lord
Relieved me from my plight.
The afflictions of the righteous
Are many.
But the Lord delivers them from them all.
He doesn't hide his afflictions in the psalm.
His remembrance of waiting with patience
Is a hopeful awaiting,
As he recalls.
He was trusting,
Relying on this God,
Though fraught with difficulty,
And maybe the hardest part
Of the psalm is actually
That he had to wait.
I waited for the Lord my God
And patiently did wait,
As the Psalter puts it.
Maybe portrays
The difficulty he had in waiting
And the patience he needed to exercise
In waiting.
Many of us have had to wait upon God
In our experiences.
And it's a difficult thing
As we question ourselves.
And we make questions.
Why is the Lord not answering me?
Waiting should not be underestimated.
And the difficulty of it.
Someone once said that
Patience is not passive.
On the contrary,
It is active.
It is concentrated strength.
We find that
We need to make a conscious effort
In our waiting.
It's not like we're waiting for someone,
You know,
If we drop someone off
To go to an appointment.
We're not.
We're just waiting for them to come back.
Passively.
We're waiting consciously
Because everything
Hangs on
What
Happens.
What will happen.
We are longingly waiting.
But when we come to wait on God
We can be sure
That there will be another voice
That will say to us
Why?
Why are you waiting?
Nobody is listening.
That is where the psalmist's trust
Comes through.
His faith and trust
Overcomes
Any doubts
As ours must
That the devil
Speaks to us.
We must address the devil
To depart from us
In these times.
I trust in God
God
Is faithful to his people
God will not forsake his people
And I am one of God's people
I am one that trusts in God
So we have confidence
In our difficulties
And in our waiting
That God
That God will not leave us
And the psalmist
And the Christian
Will commend
To everyone
That God is worth waiting for
The psalmist
Remembered
That he waited
But the psalmist
Remembered
That he cried
In this situation
He made this cry
And it would be
Confident to say
That
In the psalm
It's singular cry
But
Our cries
Are often
Never singular
They are many
And painful
Many times
They're never even audible
Situations
That surround us
Like the psalmist
Can weigh upon us
With grievous pains
That we must cry
For him
What was the psalmist
Situation here
Where we see
He was in the pit
Of destruction
He was in the
Miley bog
It says
What does this place
Equate to in your head
As you think about it
What is equal
To being in the pit
Of destruction
For you
The Miley bog
You may well
Be able to say
That I have been
In that place
Or maybe today
You can say
That it feels
Like I am
In the pit
Of destruction
Or in the Miley bog
What was this place
To David
Well it was a place
Where there was
No hope
Surrounded on every side
Weighted
And tired
And all his strength
Taken from him
By the clay
That stuck to his feet
And the mire
That he walked through
In this bog
He may be able to see
Where he wants to go
From the pit
But there is no way
He can attain
What he desires
It is unattainable
And all he can do
Is cry
To God
Cry for help
And it is a confession
That he cannot
Do it himself
The cry
As our cry
Often is
As simple as
God
I need you
Oh God
Will you help me
From this pit
And mire
That I find myself in
We cry
In our experiences
To God
Whatever
Difficulty
Of our situation
Calvin would say
That it is a genuine
Evidence
Of the true
Godliness
When although
Plunged into
The deepest
Afflictions
We yet
Cease not
To submit
Ourselves
To God
In all
The afflictions
That come
Before us
In the situations
We cry
To God
Because the
Psalmist
Recalls
In whom
He trusted
It was
God
It was
God
He inclined
His ear
He drew me
He heard
My cry
He drew me
Out of this
Pit
And he
Unburdened
The weight
Of the
Mire
That sapped
All my
Strength
And set
My feet
Upon a
Rock
Making
My steps
Secure
The
Shure
Footing
That God
Gave to him
Unlike the
Mire
Let him
Stand
Confidently
And securely
Every step
Is made
Securely
It's
The
Psalter
Again
Words
That is
Establishing
My way
God
Takes you
From the
Pit
Sets you
On the
Rock
And establishes
The way
For you
Something
Is established
And it is
Firm
And fixed
In his
Will
And he
Gives you
Directions
The passage
In Ephesians
Speaks of
Ones
That followed
The course
Of this
World
Spoke of
Ones
That were
Dead
In
Trespasses
And sins
Spoke of
The
This speaks
Of the
Extremity
Of the
Pit
Death
Without
Trusting
In Christ
Without
A cry
To Christ
We remain
In the
Pit
And we
Remain in
The
Mire
Without
Hope
And so
We cry
And we
Cry to
God
To save
Me from
This pit
And we
Put all
Our hope
In you
And the
Place
May not
Have any
Hope
Or the
Situation
And experience
Of our lives
May not
Have any
Hope
But we
Can have
Hope in
God
As the
Psalmist
Did
He hoped
And waited
Patiently
Upon God
And what
A transformation
He knew
By it
He trusted
In God
Let us
Look at
The
Transformation
There's a
Transformation
Within
Him
There's a
Transformation
Outwardly
Verse 3
He put a
New song
In my
Mouth
A song
Of praise
To our
God
Many
Will see
And will
Fear
And put
Their trust
In the
Lord
Within
His heart
He finds
This
New song
To sing
He finds
This desire
To sing
This new
Song
Thankful
Praising
God
For all
That he
Has done
And it
Is entirely
Attributed
To God
And God
Alone
It is
Nothing
Of ourselves
The
Psalms
Did not
Save
Themselves
We as
Christians
Do not
Save
Ourselves
And it
Is by
Grace
That we
Have been
Saved
It is a
Gift
Of God
Within
Him
He found
This new
Song
Taken
From this
Place where
He was
Of sorrow
And cry
He is
Rejoicing
And you
Know
I think
Of this
Passage
And I
Recall
Myself
As I
Fear
Many
Of you
Can
When we
Sing
The
Psalms
Sometimes
We come
And we
Just sing
But there
Are a lot
Of times
We come
And we
Sing the
Psalms
And we
The words
Of it
Speak to
Our soul
And address
Of how
We feel
And we
Sing them
We may
Sing them
With tears
We may
Sing them
With sorrow
We may
Sing it
With thankfulness
And awe
Of what God
Has done
For us
But we're
Singing it
And it is
As if
The words
Of the
Psalm
Are a new
Song to us
Because of
What he
Has done
For me
And what
He has
Done
For my
Soul
And it
Maybe
At times
We will
Recall
What God
Has done
But it
Was him
That who
Has put
That new
Song in
My heart
He
Put a new
Song in
My mouth
A song
Of praise
To God
It is
Him
That has
Done
And we
Become
In a
Sense
The singers
That really
Sing the
Psalms of
God
Outwardly
It says
That many
Will see
And fear
And put
Their trust
In God
This
Transformation
Outwardly
Brings people
To see
The change
And the
Fear
And say
Look
At this
Man who
Was in
The pit
He now
Stands on
The rock
Look at
This man
Who dragged
His feet
Through the
Clay and
The mire
And the
Difficulty
Where he
Was overcome
By the
Weight
Of these
Things
He now
Stands sure
And firmly
And confidently
What has
Happened to
This man
People
See that
Change
And come
In reverence
Fear
To the
God of
Conversion
The God
Of transformation
But there
Is something
Else
I want
To address
And it
Is maybe
Not the
Intent
Of the
Passage
But some
People
Can be
Afraid
Of what
God
Would do
With them
They may
See changes
And great
Wonders
In others
We're not
To be
To be scared
Today
Of what
God
Will do
We're
To be
Scared
What God
Will do
With you
At your
Death
If you
Do not
Trust in
Christ
What hope
Does this
World have
To assure
You
And give
You
Confidence
Why
Do we
Measure
Worldly
Things
Against
The
Immeasurable
Riches
Of Christ
Jesus
There is
No
Comparing
These
Things
Let the
Psalmist
Testimony
Give you
Confidence
That we
Are to
Come
And wait
Upon
God
And not
Worry
About what
God will
Do for
Us
Because he
Will open
Your eyes
To see
That you
Are in
A pit
And a
Mire
And that
He will
Uplift
You
And let
You stand
On a
Rock
You're
Far
Better
Off
With
Christ
Let the
Pit
Not be
Eternal
For you
Today
Cry to
God
To save
You
From the
Pit
And let
Him
Put you
On a
Rock
The
Rock
In
Christ
Jesus
And in
Whom we
Stand
And the
Richest
That he
Can give
To you
Who
Trust
In him
We
Pray
That the
Psalmist
Testimony
As he
Speaks
Of what
God
Has
Done
Would
Give us
Confidence
To wait
On the
Lord
So let
Us
Briefly
Look
At the
Testimony
Of this
Psalmist
Blessed
Is the
Man
Who
Makes
The
Lord
His
Trust
Who
Does
Not
Turn
To
The
Proud
Or
To
Those
Who
Go
Astray
After
A
Lie
You
Have
Multiplied
O
Lord
My
God
Your
Wondrous
Deeds
To
Your
Thoughts
And
Your
Thoughts
Towards
Us
None
Can
Compare
With
You
I
Will
Proclaim
Of
Them
I
Will
Proclaim
And
Tell
Of
Them
Yet
They
Are
More
Than
Can
Be
Told
David
Looks
Back
At
This
Experience
A
Man
Who
Knows
The
Power
And
Faithfulness
Of
God
A
Man
Who
Knows
That
He
Will
Hear
His
Cry
A
Man
Who
Knows
The
Difficulty
Of
Waiting
But
He
Says
Blessed
Is
The
Man
Who
Makes
The
Lord
His
Trust
This
Is
David's
Confession
And
It
Is
A
Christian's
Confession
As
They
Sit
Here
Today
Blessed
Is
The
Man
Who
Makes
The
Lord
His
Trust
This
Is
What
Every
Christian
Will
Say
To
Those
Who
Are
Unconverted
To
Those
Who
Have
Not
Put
Their
Trust
In
God
Yet
This
Is
What
I
Say
To
You
Today
Blessed
Is
The
Man
Who
Makes
The
Lord
His
Trust
This
Is
The
Preacher's
Desire
That
You
Would
Trust
In
Him
And
Know
His
Blessing
Trust
In
Him
When
Your
Feet
Are
In
The
Mire
Trust
In
Him
When
You
Feel
Like
You
Are
In
The
Pit
Of
Destruction
When
Your
Situation
Seems
Hopeless
When
You
Have
Nowhere
To
Go
Trust
In
God
And
Wait
On
Him
And
He
Will
Hear
Your
Cry
The
Testimony
Of
The believer
Will
Say
That
I
Have
Trusted
In
God
And
So
Much
More
Has
He
Given
Me
In
My
Experiences
Since
The
First
Time
He
Helped
Me
He
Has
Continued
With
Me
And
I
Have
Not
Followed
The
Lies
Of
The
World
I
Have
Not
Followed
The
Ways
Of
The
Devil
And
The
Temptations
And
Distractions
He
Has
Set
Before
Me
I
Have
Put
Behind
Me
I
Say
I
Look
To
Christ
I
Look
To
God
Who
Has
Delivered
Me
From
All
My
Trials
And
Tribulations
He
Says
It
Is
A
Wonder
About
These
Things
That
He
Has
Done
These
Things
For
Me
His
Thoughts
Towards
Us
We
Often
Ask
Ourselves
Why
Does
God
Love
Me
Why
Does
He
Listen
To
My
Cry
Why
Does
He
Save
Me
It
Shows
Us
His
Love
For
Us
We
Want
To
Tell
People
About
Christ
We
Pray
That
We
Would
Have
A
Heart
Of
Desire
To
Proclaim
What
He
Has
Done
For
Us
Not
Hiding
The
Difficulty
And
Reality
Of
It
And
Yet
He
Says
I
Will
Proclaim
And
Tell
And
Yet
They
Are
More
Than
Can
Be
Told
It's
Funny
Like
We
Want
To
Say
All
That
Christ
Has
Done
For
Us
And
All
That
Christ
Means
To
Us
But
We
Can
Only
Go
So
Far
In
A
Sense
I
Can
Explain
It
So
Far
And
I
I'm
Stuck
And
All
I
Can
Say
Is
What
The
Psalmist
Says
Is
That
While
He
Inclined
His
Ear
Towards
Me
And
He
Drew
Me
Out
Of
The
Put
And
He
Put
A
New
Song
In
My
Heart
And
He
Has
Done
Everything
For
Me
It
Is
A
Gift
Of
God
It
Is
Not
Of
Our
Own
Do
So
Make
This
Year
A
Year
To
Trust
In
God
That
He
May
Hear
Your
Cry
And
Work
A
Transformation
Within
Your
Soul
And
By
The
Power
Of
His
Spirit
And
The
Workings
Of
His
Spirit
Within
Your
Soul
You
Would
Be
Able
To
Say
That
You
Too
Can
Testify
That
The
Words
Of
Psalm
40
Are
True
And
Trust
Why
Take
Courage
Wait
On
God
With
Confidence
Each
And
Every
One
Of
Take
Courage
And
Wait
On
God
With
Confidence
Because
See
When
You
Look
Through
This
Psalm
It
Is
So
Much
About
David
It
Is
So
Much
About
Ourselves
But
It
Is
So
Much
About
Christ
We
See
That
Christ
From
Gethsemane
Patiently
Cried
Out
To
God
He
Was
Mocked
And
Patiently
Endured
It
He
Endured
The
Pains
Of
The
Cross
As
We
Go
Home
Today
May
You
See
As
You
Read
Through
Where
Christ
Relates
To
Psalm
40
And
It
Is
Actually
A
Prophetic
Words
Of
David
In
Relation
To
Christ
Our
Time
Has
Gone
To
See
Where
We
Are
Related
In
The
Psalm
Where
David's
Words
Are
True
To
Us
And
Yet
Where
It
Is
True
Of
The
Experience
Of
Christ
Himself
May
These
Thoughts
Be
Blessed
To
Each
And
Every
One
Of
We
Will
Conclude
By
Singing
In
That
Psalm
40
From
The
Scottish
Psalter
From
The
Beginning
We'll
Sing
The
Verses
That
We've
Looked
At
From
One
Down
To
Verse
Mark
Five
Two
Verses
Two
Five
I
Waited
For
The
Lord
My
God
And
Patient
Leaded
Bear
At
Length
To
Me
He
Did
Incline
My
Voice
And
Cry
To
Hear
The
Scottish
Psalter
Version
Page
259
May
We
Sing
These
Words
And
See
The
Experience
Of
The
Psalmist
The
Experience
That
We
Ourselves
Have
Been
Through
And
The
Experience
Of
Christ
And
All
That
He
Has
Done
For
Us
So
Let
Us
Stand
We'll
Sing
Verses
One
Down
To
Verse
Mark
Five
To
The
Tune
Amazing
Grace
I
Waited
For
The
Lord
My
God
I
Waited
For
The
Lord
My
God
And
patiently
Did
Fear
And
Plain
To
Me
He
Didn't
Cry
My
Voice
And
Cry
To
Hear
He
Took
Me
From
A
Fear
Fulcret
And
From
The
Night
He
Play
And
On
The
Rock
He
begins
Loving
He
Set
My
BraDS
Hello
In
My love, a rock to my divine.
When ye shall see, and shall fear.
Adon the Lord be nigh.
O blessed is the man whose trust upon the Lord relies.
Respecting not the pride nor such.
As hard as I to rise.
O Lord my God, who may be I?
The wonders thou hast done.
Thy ignitions not to us were found.
Above all thoughts are gone.
Then all the blood that pray for them.
To thee let them be fair.
And seek of them.
I would be more than can be done for time.
Amen.
I conclude with a word of prayer.
Our Father in heaven, we sing the words of the psalmist.
And Lord, may many sing them with words of heartfelt thanks.
There are many who sing the pains of the afflictions of the life that we have endured.
Lord, whatever our situation, we find ourselves in these words.
But we see that Christ was there too.
And he is a saviour who can sympathise with our experience.
And so he is one that we can easily approach.
And with all our cries.
And he knows our cries.
So Lord, wherever we are today, pray that we would turn to you.
And that you would meet us at our need.
Lord, we pray for the words that will be spoken later in our gatherings.
We pray that we would have a desire to come and hear the word of God being preached.
We pray for yourself and as he prepares to do so.
Prepare our hearts to hear your word.
Be with us, Lord, in our outgoings.
And as we depart, be with us in our friendships and fellowships.
Forgive us our sins, we ask, as we come to Christ, acknowledging and confessing them.
Amen.
We pray for the rest of you, Lord.
Many of us in our hearts and blessings.
.
Amen.