WEBVTT 00:00:00.340 --> 00:00:04.799 Let's bow our heads and pray before we look at this marvelous psalm together. Let's pray. 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:14.900 Heavenly Father, may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:20.600 our God, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. 00:00:23.140 --> 00:00:29.039 Well, it is a privilege to be here with you this morning and I want to start off by asking you a question. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:37.219 How are you feeling? Christmas has passed. How are you really feeling this morning? 00:00:39.140 --> 00:00:46.960 So as December draws to an end, as family members have probably mostly returned home, normal life has kicked in, 00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:51.219 maybe you go back to an empty house. How are you feeling this morning? 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:57.039 Maybe you're feeling sad because you've left family behind once more. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:04.260 Maybe you're disappointed because after months and months of preparation and planning, 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.840 Christmas didn't quite go as you thought it would. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:13.980 Or maybe you're still hurt and have hard feelings about the annual Christmas family argument. 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:17.300 How are you feeling this morning? 00:01:19.520 --> 00:01:26.320 The end of December can be a time of great joy, but it can also be a time of great sadness, can't it? 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:33.359 Maybe you join in with the rest of the world as they sit and reflect on a year gone past. 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:44.480 Businesses, churches, charities, families and individuals often spend this time of year assessing how, in our case, 2018 was. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:54.460 And they look either with anticipation or with fear at the year to come because it is full of uncertainties. 00:01:54.459 --> 00:02:01.619 Personally, I find the end of December to be an absolutely fascinating time of year. 00:02:02.379 --> 00:02:09.139 People, both Christians and non-Christians, have taken time off work, have spent time with family, 00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:15.039 have probably visited a carol service or two, and they've celebrated. 00:02:15.579 --> 00:02:16.799 What have they celebrated? 00:02:17.699 --> 00:02:19.620 Well, they've celebrated the birth of Jesus. 00:02:19.620 --> 00:02:22.280 Whether they knew it or not is another story. 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:26.300 But Christmas is in the past now. 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:32.300 And for many people in the world, the annual thought about God and Jesus is done with. 00:02:32.480 --> 00:02:33.159 It's out the window. 00:02:34.300 --> 00:02:36.120 Until December 2019. 00:02:37.920 --> 00:02:40.759 Some people have Jesus in their rear view mirrors, 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:44.740 but staring at them right in the face is the uncertainty of a new year. 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:52.080 And just into that new year, you have the loneliness and sadness of Blue Monday, 00:02:52.640 --> 00:02:54.740 which falls on January 21st. 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:01.640 And it's known as Blue Monday because it's apparently the longest and loneliest day of the year. 00:03:03.420 --> 00:03:05.300 Normal life has kicked in. 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:06.400 Christmas is gone. 00:03:06.939 --> 00:03:09.680 And you're already looking for that holiday again, aren't you? 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:19.680 I find it interesting because on December 25th, people are so happy and so joyous as they celebrate Christmas. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:27.400 But once Christmas ends, so do people's thoughts about God, don't they? 00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:29.580 Why? 00:03:30.640 --> 00:03:37.819 Well, because the world makes the fatal mistake of minimizing the God of this world to a manger. 00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:45.000 People simplify the message of Jesus to this cute little baby and nothing more. 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.979 But the psalm that was read out and that we're going to look at this morning does the exact opposite. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:58.939 It presents us with the glorious news that God is the faithful God for every day. 00:03:59.579 --> 00:04:02.699 The faithful God for every day. 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:09.759 Now, Psalm 71 is an interesting psalm because it doesn't quite fit into any particular structure. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:13.000 We don't really know who the author is. 00:04:13.079 --> 00:04:16.360 We have guesses based on Psalm 70, that is David. 00:04:17.019 --> 00:04:20.300 And we don't really know any of the events that surround this psalm. 00:04:20.300 --> 00:04:30.199 And one of the reasons that it doesn't fit into a structure really is because the author seems to jump around between past experiences, 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:35.060 present pleas for hope, and hopes for the future. 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:39.959 And so we'll be jumping all over the psalm this morning a little bit. 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:46.319 But the big thing that this psalm is teaching us is that God is the faithful God for every day. 00:04:47.379 --> 00:04:49.980 And therefore, we can trust in him. 00:04:50.660 --> 00:04:52.540 And we can have confidence in him. 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:56.220 God is the faithful God for every day. 00:04:56.220 --> 00:05:02.020 So the writer of this psalm seems to be writing from an old age. 00:05:02.200 --> 00:05:07.160 And you see that by the repetition of his aging features in verses 9 and 18. 00:05:07.940 --> 00:05:12.240 And because in verses 5, 6, and 17, he speaks of his youth. 00:05:13.520 --> 00:05:22.560 It's as if we get to sit at this man's feet and listen to him reminisce of a life lived that has been marked by the faithfulness of God. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:29.939 Maybe you know those scenes in the movies when the camera turns to a corner and suddenly you see an old person, 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:33.360 normally sitting in a rocking chair with a blanket over their legs. 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:38.000 And they say something along the lines of, I haven't always been this way, you know. 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:41.579 And then the camera zooms out and phases out. 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:43.939 And you see a much younger version of that individual. 00:05:44.579 --> 00:05:47.259 And then they narrate the story of their life. 00:05:50.139 --> 00:05:52.259 That's kind of what's happening in this psalm. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:57.420 But the psalmist starts off by praying to God for the present. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:04.939 So in verses 1 to 4 and verses 12 to 13, the psalmist is pleading with God to deliver him. 00:06:07.180 --> 00:06:09.459 Enemies seem to be lurking at the door. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:15.639 People want him gone and he pleads to God to deliver him. 00:06:16.939 --> 00:06:18.899 But notice that he isn't on his knees. 00:06:18.899 --> 00:06:23.620 He isn't mourning and weeping because God is silent. 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:27.239 He isn't at his wit's end with suffering and turmoil. 00:06:27.919 --> 00:06:31.419 But he's pleading to God because he knows who God is. 00:06:33.179 --> 00:06:35.239 There is no sense of despair. 00:06:36.379 --> 00:06:42.439 Even in his present struggles, the psalmist is relying on the faithful God for every day. 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:48.000 Look at the words that he uses to describe God and his actions. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:58.279 God is his refuge, his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his saviour and the one who listens to his cries. 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:04.399 All of these words that the psalmist use are strong words, aren't they? 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:06.459 So take fortress, for example. 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:07.719 It's a building. 00:07:07.859 --> 00:07:08.559 It's strong. 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:14.379 It's built to withstand even the most severe of attacks and it is built to last. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:20.559 It is a safe haven in times of war and it is a place where people run for shelter. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:26.660 And that is the illustration the psalmist uses to describe who his God is. 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:34.480 You can send the world's biggest army and bring it face to face with the God of this world 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:39.620 and he will triumph hands down every single time. 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:42.740 God is this man's fortress. 00:07:42.939 --> 00:07:45.759 Nothing can harm him because God is on his side. 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:51.219 But this doesn't mean that the psalmist hasn't suffered. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:53.819 Look what it says in verse 20. 00:07:54.980 --> 00:07:59.219 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter. 00:08:00.819 --> 00:08:03.319 See, the psalmist is speaking to God at this point. 00:08:04.219 --> 00:08:07.800 God is the one who let the psalmist go through difficulties. 00:08:08.039 --> 00:08:12.019 God is the one who has been there when he has been suffering. 00:08:12.019 --> 00:08:18.479 And with that knowledge in mind, he pleads and he says, God, please deliver me. 00:08:18.719 --> 00:08:20.979 Be with me as I suffer. 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:27.959 Friends, this morning we look ahead to a year of unknowns. 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:31.539 We don't know what is coming. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:35.019 We don't know what our lives will look like this time next year. 00:08:35.079 --> 00:08:37.360 We don't even know if we'll be here this time next year. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:42.740 But the psalmist encourages us to see the greatness of God. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:50.720 To trust him and to have confidence in him because he is the faithful God for every day. 00:08:53.300 --> 00:08:58.000 He isn't just the God who sticks around when things are nice and comfy and cozy. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:04.620 He isn't a cheerleader who stands on the sidelines shouting encouragements to us. 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:08.740 But he is the God who walks with us through thick and thin. 00:09:09.419 --> 00:09:12.740 Through pain and suffering and times of happiness. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:19.340 He is the God who protects us and cares for us even when it doesn't feel like it. 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:24.480 Even when our pain seems too much to bear. 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:30.820 Even when we feel the pressures of the world falling in on us. 00:09:31.460 --> 00:09:34.080 Even there, God is with us. 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:38.500 And what does he say in verse 15? 00:09:39.539 --> 00:09:45.899 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long. 00:09:46.299 --> 00:09:49.440 Though I know not how to relate them all. 00:09:50.860 --> 00:09:53.519 So even when a situation is so bad. 00:09:54.899 --> 00:10:00.320 That we think that in no scenario at all can this be bringing any good. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:10.160 It is even then the psalmist says, in those times of struggle know that your God is your refuge. 00:10:10.660 --> 00:10:12.700 And that his deeds are righteous. 00:10:12.700 --> 00:10:17.920 Now I know this year hasn't been easy for many of us. 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:22.680 That doctor's appointment didn't go as well as we thought it would. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.759 That loved one who is no longer around. 00:10:28.220 --> 00:10:29.940 That job that didn't come up. 00:10:30.020 --> 00:10:33.320 That feeling of despair and loneliness is still there. 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:40.500 But let this psalm fill your minds with the grand image of God and cry out to him. 00:10:41.660 --> 00:10:42.940 Because he listens. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:46.900 Call out in your pain and ask for deliverance. 00:10:48.160 --> 00:10:52.879 Ask for God to come and care for you because that's what he wants to do. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:58.379 This is the faithful God for every day. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:06.000 The writer then changes his focus. 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:14.519 And instead of looking at the present, he looks back on his life and reflects on how God has been with him in the past. 00:11:15.220 --> 00:11:17.000 So again, back to that movie scene. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.399 Like that scene where the old man is sitting on the porch looking off into the distance. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:27.019 And he usually says something like, I remember when... 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:29.080 Fill in the blanks. 00:11:30.299 --> 00:11:34.279 Well, the writer of this psalm sits back and tells the story of his life. 00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:38.419 And he focuses on how God has been with him and protected him. 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:42.759 Remember that life hasn't always been good for this man. 00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:49.759 Verses 10 and 11 give us an indication that there were times when people thought that God had left him. 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:56.899 Times where life was so hard and the opposition was so much. 00:11:59.620 --> 00:12:06.080 The sign that verse 7 speaks about could mean that people looked at this man's life and thought that God had abandoned him. 00:12:07.980 --> 00:12:09.659 Thought that God had cursed him. 00:12:09.659 --> 00:12:14.240 They looked at him and they could say they thought that God had left him alone. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:21.379 But even in those times, he writes in verse 5 that God has been his hope. 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:25.139 That God has been his confidence and his refuge. 00:12:25.339 --> 00:12:25.719 When? 00:12:25.939 --> 00:12:26.899 Since his youth. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.379 Through all the struggles of life. 00:12:29.379 --> 00:12:34.559 Through all the struggles that came his way. 00:12:34.679 --> 00:12:37.519 Through all of his weaknesses, God has given him strength. 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:39.439 And God has been with him. 00:12:40.939 --> 00:12:47.340 And even though his enemies are waiting like a pack of hungry wolves ready to pounce on an innocent, defenseless lamb. 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:49.600 Though he felt weak. 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:52.480 Though he maybe didn't understand why all of this was happening. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:54.060 And he maybe doesn't even now. 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.740 He knows that God is sovereign. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:05.259 Since his youth, he's relied on God because God is sovereign. 00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:10.680 See, God has not left us to our own devices. 00:13:11.560 --> 00:13:13.460 He hasn't forgotten his people. 00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:15.560 He has not turned his back on us. 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.080 But he cares and the psalmist knows it. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:22.780 God brought him from his mother's womb in verse 6. 00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:25.480 And God has been with him ever since. 00:13:26.780 --> 00:13:30.060 Now this is one of the biggest encouragements that I find in life. 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:32.700 That God is sovereign. 00:13:33.900 --> 00:13:36.259 Because I know that whatever I'm going through, 00:13:36.900 --> 00:13:38.340 whatever pain I'm in, 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:40.660 whatever struggles I have, 00:13:40.660 --> 00:13:43.240 God sees it and God knows. 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.280 As we sit and reflect at the end of a year. 00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:53.040 As we think about the year that's gone by. 00:13:53.139 --> 00:13:55.879 As we remember the loved one that passed away. 00:13:57.060 --> 00:14:01.000 As we remember the times when we felt alone and abandoned. 00:14:01.139 --> 00:14:03.300 As we remember those moments of loneliness. 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:05.840 The psalmist says, 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:08.820 Look to God because he is sovereign and he knows your pain. 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:12.140 And you might be thinking, 00:14:12.140 --> 00:14:15.040 Well, how can you find encouragement in the fact that God knows? 00:14:15.680 --> 00:14:16.720 And that God is sovereign. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:21.399 Well, because God sees everything that is going on in this world. 00:14:22.180 --> 00:14:24.220 In your life and in my life. 00:14:25.180 --> 00:14:26.700 And he will put things right. 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:32.920 He will right every wrong and he will bring justice. 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:40.100 I also find this truth comforting because I know that regardless what situation I am in, 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:41.080 I'm not alone. 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:44.340 If you, 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:45.139 like the psalmist, 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.500 are going through times of struggle and times of pain, 00:14:48.620 --> 00:14:50.740 if you feel rejected and alone, 00:14:51.139 --> 00:14:54.520 know that God has promised to be with his people. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:14:58.560 He has not forsaken you. 00:14:59.180 --> 00:15:00.400 He has not forgotten you. 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:01.800 He is with you. 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:06.799 And in verse 17, 00:15:06.979 --> 00:15:11.500 the psalmist says that God has used everything in his life to teach him. 00:15:13.099 --> 00:15:14.399 And in verse 15, 00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:16.659 all of God's deeds are righteous, 00:15:17.179 --> 00:15:20.120 even though the writer doesn't understand them all. 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:26.200 So does the truth of God's sovereignty mean that we don't have any questions and struggles? 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:26.860 No. 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:30.899 Does it mean that as Christians, 00:15:31.019 --> 00:15:35.060 we're to live a perfect life where we're constantly happy with a smile on our face? 00:15:35.259 --> 00:15:35.659 No. 00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:39.379 Does it mean that we live in a fallen, 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:42.059 broken world and we suffer like everybody else? 00:15:42.439 --> 00:15:42.919 Absolutely. 00:15:45.419 --> 00:15:47.319 But we do not suffer without hope. 00:15:49.740 --> 00:15:53.039 We do not suffer like everybody else because we are, 00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:54.659 we have our deliverer. 00:15:55.579 --> 00:15:56.419 We are not alone. 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.879 So we can sit back and look over this past year 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:05.820 and we can look over our lives and say that God has been with us 00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:08.159 and has delivered us from our worst enemies 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.220 because he sent his son, 00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:11.159 Jesus Christ. 00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:15.279 And we stand on this side of the cross. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.139 And so Jesus came and lived the perfect life, 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.480 died the death that we deserve and was raised to life, 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:24.820 meaning that our worst enemies, 00:16:24.820 --> 00:16:26.620 sin and death have been destroyed. 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:31.720 There is no greater Christmas gift than that. 00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:39.600 We have a greater understanding of God's deliverance 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:41.139 than the writer of this psalm does 00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:44.159 because we stand on this side of the cross. 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:50.620 We can see the fullness of God's mercy and forgiveness at the cross. 00:16:51.560 --> 00:16:52.940 And so as we look over our lives, 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:54.639 as we look over this past year, 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:59.139 we should look back to the cross and be thankful. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:05.660 Because Jesus Christ made it possible 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:07.500 for us to be made right with God. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:09.740 He bore the wrath that we deserve 00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:13.779 so that sinners like me and like you 00:17:13.779 --> 00:17:16.400 can be brought back to God. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:22.519 And our response to God should be the same as the psalmist. 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:25.480 Look in verses 6 and 8. 00:17:25.579 --> 00:17:26.579 What is his response? 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:29.319 Well, his knowledge of the past 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:31.680 leads him to praise God 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:34.980 for not just when things are going well. 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:37.639 And in verse 8 he says, 00:17:37.740 --> 00:17:39.660 My mouth is filled with your praises, 00:17:39.779 --> 00:17:41.059 declaring your splendor. 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:41.639 When? 00:17:42.660 --> 00:17:44.460 Not only when things are going great, 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:47.639 but all day long. 00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:52.100 Now I wish I could sit at the end of this year, 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.520 at the end of my life here on earth, 00:17:54.560 --> 00:17:56.759 and look back and say that I have praised God 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:58.759 every single day, all day long. 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:02.120 Is that not your wish too? 00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:07.620 To look back over both the good and the bad 00:18:07.620 --> 00:18:10.220 and to praise God for all that he has done 00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:11.620 and to praise him all day long. 00:18:13.620 --> 00:18:17.600 That's what a life focused on God looks like. 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:22.160 That's what it looks like to live a life 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.240 with the understanding of who we serve 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:28.259 and to praise him as the faithful God for every day. 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:34.539 And from verse 14 onwards, 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:36.900 the writer of the psalm looks forward to the future. 00:18:38.140 --> 00:18:39.859 So far he's looked at his past 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:41.819 and seen how God has been faithful 00:18:41.819 --> 00:18:43.900 and has kept him all the years of his life. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.079 He's prayed and pleaded for God to be with him 00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:49.140 in his present trials and troubles. 00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:51.660 And now he turns his eyes to the years 00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:53.379 that he still has left on earth. 00:18:53.940 --> 00:18:56.619 And he says that despite his present struggles, 00:18:56.619 --> 00:18:57.539 verse 14, 00:18:57.539 --> 00:19:01.399 As for me, I will always have hope. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:05.500 I will praise you more and more. 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:08.079 Do you see what he's saying? 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.659 That regardless of whatever comes my way, 00:19:13.799 --> 00:19:15.779 whatever lies before me, 00:19:15.940 --> 00:19:17.779 still I will sing your praises. 00:19:18.940 --> 00:19:21.399 And the remaining days that we have left on earth, 00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:22.259 the psalmist says, 00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:25.559 they will be filled with me retelling 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:28.159 God's righteous deeds. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:29.899 He will proclaim his testimony 00:19:29.899 --> 00:19:32.759 of how God has been with him through thick and thin, 00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:33.579 not just once, 00:19:34.639 --> 00:19:35.599 not just twice, 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.519 but all day long. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:42.940 But he still lives in the real world. 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:46.619 He hasn't forgotten that struggles will come his way 00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:47.960 and he hasn't forgotten 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:49.799 that the day will come 00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:51.440 where he breathes his last breath 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:52.200 and he dies. 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:56.680 And look at his marvelous, 00:19:57.480 --> 00:19:59.519 breathtaking prayer in verse 18. 00:20:00.840 --> 00:20:02.640 Even when I am old and gray, 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:04.059 do not forsake me, my God, 00:20:04.340 --> 00:20:08.100 until I declare your power 00:20:08.100 --> 00:20:09.600 to the next generation, 00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:13.440 your mighty acts to all who are to come. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:16.080 Now every time I read that verse, 00:20:16.140 --> 00:20:17.059 I think two things. 00:20:17.700 --> 00:20:19.220 One, wow. 00:20:20.380 --> 00:20:23.400 This is a man who has been blown away by God. 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:27.059 He's been transformed and taken aback 00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:27.980 by God's goodness 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:30.759 and nothing in this world 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:32.380 will stop him telling people about it. 00:20:34.039 --> 00:20:36.440 And two, I pray, 00:20:37.580 --> 00:20:38.900 God give me this heart 00:20:38.900 --> 00:20:43.100 and this passion to share your mighty deeds. 00:20:45.340 --> 00:20:47.680 See, this man has seen God at work in his life 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:50.860 and he cannot deny that God has done mighty things 00:20:50.860 --> 00:20:52.620 and he cannot keep quiet about it. 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:56.259 Before he takes his last breath, 00:20:56.340 --> 00:20:58.420 he wants to pass on his knowledge of God 00:20:58.420 --> 00:20:59.840 to the next generation. 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:03.040 He wants to teach them who God is 00:21:03.040 --> 00:21:05.240 so that they too can learn 00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:06.360 that he is the faithful God, 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:07.740 not just for one day a year, 00:21:07.740 --> 00:21:10.339 not just when things are going well, 00:21:10.579 --> 00:21:12.880 but the faithful God for every day. 00:21:16.620 --> 00:21:17.839 Have you ever met someone 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.180 who does a specific thing 00:21:20.180 --> 00:21:21.099 completely different 00:21:21.099 --> 00:21:22.559 from the way you would normally do it? 00:21:23.380 --> 00:21:25.180 So this last week, for example, 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:27.019 my wife Sabina and I have been in Austria 00:21:27.019 --> 00:21:28.539 spending Christmas with her family 00:21:28.539 --> 00:21:30.720 and it's always a joy to go there, 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.960 but we do Christmases very differently 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:34.480 from the way I was brought up. 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:37.200 So in the Charmers household, 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:38.039 in my household, 00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:40.779 my mum would have all of the Christmas decorations 00:21:40.779 --> 00:21:43.740 up on like nine o'clock on the 1st of December. 00:21:44.380 --> 00:21:47.120 The house would be decked out with tinsel, 00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:49.059 with lights, with flashing things 00:21:49.059 --> 00:21:50.140 everywhere you could see 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:51.519 and there was a massive tree. 00:21:54.080 --> 00:21:55.480 Sabina's parents, on the other hand, 00:21:55.539 --> 00:21:57.840 buy their Christmas tree on the 21st of December 00:21:57.840 --> 00:22:01.240 and the whole family gathers to decorate the tree. 00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:05.319 And on the 25th of December, 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:06.680 in the Charmers house, 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:08.519 my parents would be woken up 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:10.319 by me and my brothers walking around 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:12.319 very loudly to wake them up 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:13.779 so that we could open our Christmas gifts. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:15.700 They'd all be sitting on chairs 00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:17.019 and then we'd all wrap them, 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:19.579 we'd unwrap them as quickly as we could 00:22:19.579 --> 00:22:21.299 and there'd be just absolute chaos 00:22:21.299 --> 00:22:22.180 for about an hour 00:22:22.180 --> 00:22:23.740 as we played with different toys. 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:26.859 Now Sabina's family celebrate Christmas 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:27.500 very differently. 00:22:29.019 --> 00:22:31.819 They celebrate on the 24th of December 00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:32.400 in the evening 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:34.660 and each present is taken 00:22:34.660 --> 00:22:35.819 from under the Christmas tree 00:22:35.819 --> 00:22:38.099 and given to the person individually 00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:39.160 and everybody watches 00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:41.079 as they open their Christmas gift. 00:22:41.859 --> 00:22:42.980 It was slightly awkward at first 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:43.779 but I got used to it. 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:47.279 And we do those things 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:48.740 because that's what's been passed down 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:50.120 from generation to generation. 00:22:50.119 --> 00:22:50.239 generation. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:52.439 We do what we know. 00:22:52.539 --> 00:22:52.979 We know, 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:54.739 we do what we've been taught. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:57.479 And that's what the writer 00:22:57.479 --> 00:22:58.359 of this psalm says, 00:22:58.439 --> 00:22:59.659 God, before I die, 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:01.859 let me teach the next generation. 00:23:02.959 --> 00:23:04.759 Let them not go a day 00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:06.279 without knowing who you are. 00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:09.500 Let them not go a day 00:23:09.500 --> 00:23:12.259 without hearing of your mighty deeds 00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:14.479 because you are faithful. 00:23:17.479 --> 00:23:19.359 And this has two big applications 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.319 for us this morning 00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:21.240 as a church family. 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:25.379 One, in the way we teach our children. 00:23:27.579 --> 00:23:28.899 If you're a parent, 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:32.740 if you have friends who are parents, 00:23:32.859 --> 00:23:33.839 if you know children, 00:23:33.939 --> 00:23:36.000 if you see children running around here 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:36.839 on a Sunday morning, 00:23:36.919 --> 00:23:37.859 so that basically means 00:23:37.859 --> 00:23:39.139 every single one of us, 00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:41.539 we have a responsibility 00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:44.740 to pass on our knowledge 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:45.779 of who God is. 00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:49.460 We do this by teaching people 00:23:49.460 --> 00:23:50.180 from the Bible, 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:51.240 teaching children 00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:52.920 about who God is 00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:54.819 because He has revealed it to us 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:55.740 in His Word. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:59.700 And we do it by pointing 00:23:59.700 --> 00:24:01.079 children to Jesus 00:24:01.079 --> 00:24:02.899 every single day. 00:24:02.900 --> 00:24:07.600 If you're a parent, 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:10.200 don't let a day go by 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:10.900 in your house 00:24:10.900 --> 00:24:11.480 where your children 00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:12.700 do not hear the name Jesus. 00:24:15.019 --> 00:24:16.019 If you're a friend 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:17.960 of people with children, 00:24:18.080 --> 00:24:19.220 don't let a day go by 00:24:19.220 --> 00:24:20.180 where you don't pray 00:24:20.180 --> 00:24:21.120 for that child. 00:24:21.620 --> 00:24:23.040 That they would come to know 00:24:23.040 --> 00:24:24.460 God as their own 00:24:24.460 --> 00:24:26.200 personal Lord and Savior 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:28.060 because God has no grandchildren. 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:33.720 point the next generation 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:34.259 to God. 00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:35.839 That is the first application. 00:24:36.539 --> 00:24:37.440 And the second one 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:39.740 is in the way we tell people 00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:40.839 the good news of the Gospel. 00:24:43.419 --> 00:24:44.659 Live your life 00:24:44.659 --> 00:24:46.240 with your faith in Jesus 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:48.639 open for the whole world to see. 00:24:51.879 --> 00:24:53.720 Tell people about your life 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:54.639 and what God has done. 00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:56.639 Tell people how and why 00:24:56.639 --> 00:24:57.679 you became a Christian. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:58.940 Tell people that you were 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:00.180 at church on Sunday. 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:03.560 Tell people the reason 00:25:03.560 --> 00:25:05.820 that you managed to get through 00:25:05.820 --> 00:25:07.380 that really difficult situation 00:25:07.380 --> 00:25:08.000 in your life 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:08.900 was because of God. 00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:11.440 Because He gave you strength. 00:25:12.060 --> 00:25:12.880 And tell people 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:14.400 that they are in need 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:14.940 of forgiveness. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:20.200 Tell people about the problem 00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:21.360 of their sin 00:25:21.360 --> 00:25:22.820 that cuts them off from God. 00:25:23.100 --> 00:25:25.180 But how the solution came 00:25:25.180 --> 00:25:27.279 because Jesus bore the wrath 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:28.299 of God on the cross 00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:29.559 and now they can be forgiven. 00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:34.220 Their debt can be paid, 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:35.599 their judgment can be taken, 00:25:35.819 --> 00:25:36.879 and their identities 00:25:36.879 --> 00:25:38.079 can be made new 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:39.079 in Jesus. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:43.480 As this man looks 00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:44.539 to the future, 00:25:44.660 --> 00:25:46.160 he isn't plodding along 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:46.700 in life. 00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:50.799 He isn't just cruising through 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.180 waiting for his final breath, 00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:54.559 but look at verses 22 to 24. 00:25:56.059 --> 00:25:57.580 This man is rejoicing. 00:25:59.019 --> 00:26:00.420 He is celebrating 00:26:00.420 --> 00:26:01.480 and praising God 00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:02.500 out of a pure 00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:04.319 and honest joy 00:26:04.319 --> 00:26:06.100 because of what will happen 00:26:06.100 --> 00:26:06.779 in the future. 00:26:06.779 --> 00:26:11.119 verses 20 and 21 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:12.839 describe the wonderful truths 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:14.440 that God will restore 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:15.519 life again 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:16.960 and deal well 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:17.639 with His people. 00:26:17.779 --> 00:26:18.480 God will stand 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:19.579 on that final day 00:26:19.579 --> 00:26:20.000 and say, 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:20.960 well done, 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:22.779 good and faithful servant. 00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:25.720 And that is the future 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:26.619 that we should eagerly 00:26:26.619 --> 00:26:27.139 be awaiting. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:30.680 Friends, 00:26:30.740 --> 00:26:31.579 as we look ahead 00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:33.740 and we see 2019 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:34.960 just coming over 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:35.539 the horizon, 00:26:36.139 --> 00:26:37.279 as we anticipate 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:38.699 times of rejoicing 00:26:38.699 --> 00:26:39.919 and times of sorrow 00:26:39.919 --> 00:26:42.079 and pain, 00:26:42.199 --> 00:26:43.059 as we think about 00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:44.099 difficult decisions, 00:26:44.679 --> 00:26:46.059 different relationships 00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:47.879 and different people, 00:26:48.899 --> 00:26:49.839 or maybe as you think 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:50.919 of a new phase 00:26:50.919 --> 00:26:52.019 of life starting, 00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:54.039 how great would it be 00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:56.480 if the Psalms prayer 00:26:56.480 --> 00:26:57.439 in verse 18 00:26:57.439 --> 00:26:58.199 was the marker 00:26:58.199 --> 00:26:59.079 of our lives? 00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:02.699 How great would it be 00:27:02.699 --> 00:27:04.199 to sit this time 00:27:04.199 --> 00:27:04.740 next year 00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:05.659 and say that we have 00:27:05.659 --> 00:27:06.359 done everything 00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:07.659 we possibly could 00:27:07.659 --> 00:27:09.460 to pass on 00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:10.899 the knowledge of God 00:27:10.899 --> 00:27:11.939 to the next generation, 00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:12.960 whether that's to children 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:14.179 or to non-Christians? 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:16.879 I think that this 00:27:16.879 --> 00:27:18.019 would completely change 00:27:18.019 --> 00:27:18.659 our sight 00:27:18.659 --> 00:27:19.720 and our lives 00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:20.740 because we would be 00:27:20.740 --> 00:27:22.539 more focused on God. 00:27:24.379 --> 00:27:25.159 We would be 00:27:25.159 --> 00:27:26.539 a transformed people 00:27:26.539 --> 00:27:28.379 for the glory of God. 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:32.099 And my prayer is 00:27:32.099 --> 00:27:33.199 that like this Psalmist, 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:34.119 we'll be able to look 00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:35.299 back over our lives, 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:36.720 whether that's in 10, 00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:38.279 20 or 50 years, 00:27:38.659 --> 00:27:40.839 and say that we have 00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:42.039 seen God at work 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:43.019 and we have praised 00:27:43.019 --> 00:27:44.059 Him for it. 00:27:45.639 --> 00:27:46.679 And we can have 00:27:46.679 --> 00:27:48.019 confidence because we 00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:48.939 know that God is 00:27:48.939 --> 00:27:50.319 sovereignly working 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:51.240 out His plan. 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.799 And we look to the 00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:54.819 future with a burning 00:27:54.819 --> 00:27:56.359 desire to see the 00:27:56.359 --> 00:27:57.099 kingdom of God 00:27:57.099 --> 00:27:57.779 spread, 00:27:59.379 --> 00:28:02.439 to see more people 00:28:02.439 --> 00:28:03.959 come to know God. 00:28:05.679 --> 00:28:06.779 That is what it means 00:28:06.779 --> 00:28:08.000 to see and understand 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:08.859 that God is the 00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:10.000 faithful God 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:11.599 for every day. 00:28:13.379 --> 00:28:14.419 So think back to 00:28:14.419 --> 00:28:15.379 where we started off. 00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:17.679 People all over the 00:28:17.679 --> 00:28:18.259 world have just 00:28:18.259 --> 00:28:19.219 celebrated the birth 00:28:19.219 --> 00:28:19.639 of Jesus, 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:20.639 whether they did so 00:28:20.639 --> 00:28:22.279 intentionally or not. 00:28:23.439 --> 00:28:24.839 But all across the UK, 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:25.819 people have attended 00:28:25.819 --> 00:28:26.779 carol services, 00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:28.139 church services, 00:28:28.139 --> 00:28:29.159 and they've done 00:28:29.159 --> 00:28:30.119 their church bit for 00:28:30.119 --> 00:28:30.519 the year. 00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:34.500 People confine God 00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:35.599 to one day of the 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:35.879 year. 00:28:36.899 --> 00:28:37.759 But what this Psalm 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:39.019 encourages us to do 00:28:39.019 --> 00:28:40.720 is to lift our eyes 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.659 and see that God is 00:28:41.659 --> 00:28:42.619 the faithful God for 00:28:42.619 --> 00:28:44.539 every single day of 00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:45.159 our lives. 00:28:47.959 --> 00:28:49.319 Not just once a year, 00:28:49.439 --> 00:28:50.459 not just once in a 00:28:50.459 --> 00:28:51.059 while when we're 00:28:51.059 --> 00:28:51.439 struggling, 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:53.279 but God is faithful 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:54.160 to his promises 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:54.920 and he has promised 00:28:54.920 --> 00:28:56.039 to protect and be 00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:56.860 with his people. 00:28:57.700 --> 00:28:58.400 God is faithful. 00:28:59.480 --> 00:29:00.620 Is this your view 00:29:00.620 --> 00:29:01.180 of God? 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:03.340 Or have you confined 00:29:03.340 --> 00:29:05.220 him to December 25th? 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:08.920 I'd encourage you to 00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:09.980 start this new year by 00:29:09.980 --> 00:29:11.519 maybe reading Mark's 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:12.400 gospel with somebody. 00:29:14.180 --> 00:29:15.420 Whether you're not a 00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:15.720 Christian, 00:29:15.840 --> 00:29:16.420 whether you're a new 00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:16.720 Christian, 00:29:16.779 --> 00:29:17.279 or whether you've been 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:18.480 a Christian for years, 00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:20.299 meet up with somebody, 00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:21.279 read Mark's gospel, 00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.279 pray together, 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:23.539 and investigate, 00:29:23.859 --> 00:29:24.500 if you're not a 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:24.819 Christian, 00:29:25.259 --> 00:29:27.220 why so many people 00:29:27.220 --> 00:29:28.379 live their lives for 00:29:28.379 --> 00:29:29.259 God and not for 00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:29.720 themselves. 00:29:31.819 --> 00:29:32.839 And to seriously 00:29:32.839 --> 00:29:33.819 consider why we 00:29:33.819 --> 00:29:35.500 believe that God is 00:29:35.500 --> 00:29:36.799 the faithful God for 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:37.700 every day. 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:39.779 Let's pray together. 00:29:39.779 --> 00:29:39.839 Let's pray together. 00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:51.299 Father, 00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:52.019 loving God and 00:29:52.019 --> 00:29:52.700 heavenly Father, 00:29:53.700 --> 00:29:56.039 we come before you 00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:56.720 and we ask for 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:57.559 forgiveness for the 00:29:57.559 --> 00:29:58.839 times we confine you 00:29:58.839 --> 00:30:00.500 to one day a year. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:02.940 Or the times and the 00:30:02.940 --> 00:30:04.259 days that go by where 00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:05.480 we don't think about you, 00:30:05.579 --> 00:30:06.519 we don't thank you, 00:30:06.639 --> 00:30:08.220 we don't even notice 00:30:08.220 --> 00:30:09.759 your righteous and 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:10.839 mighty deeds that you 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:12.180 do for us every single 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:12.500 day. 00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:15.119 Father, 00:30:15.220 --> 00:30:16.099 this year help us 00:30:16.099 --> 00:30:17.559 wake up and give 00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:18.419 thanks that we have 00:30:18.419 --> 00:30:20.059 woken up and that we 00:30:20.059 --> 00:30:20.940 are breathing fresh 00:30:20.940 --> 00:30:21.220 air. 00:30:23.099 --> 00:30:24.079 And help us give 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:25.659 thanks for the new 00:30:25.659 --> 00:30:26.659 relationship that we 00:30:26.659 --> 00:30:27.480 can have with your 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:29.240 son and with you 00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:30.240 because of the cross. 00:30:31.240 --> 00:30:32.399 We ask all of this 00:30:32.399 --> 00:30:33.039 in the mighty, 00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:33.980 holy, 00:30:34.179 --> 00:30:35.299 and precious name of 00:30:35.299 --> 00:30:36.539 your son Jesus Christ. 00:30:37.099 --> 00:30:37.419 Amen.