WEBVTT

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 Well friends, we're here to worship God and we're going to do so singing to his praise from Psalm 98 in Sing Psalms.

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 Psalm 98, that's on page 129 of the Blue Psalm books.

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 Reading at the beginning of the psalm.

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 We'll sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done.

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 His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

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 The Lord declared his saving work and made it to be known to all the nations of the world his righteousness is shown.

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 We're going to sing down to the end of the verse marked six to the praise of God.

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 We're going to sing to the tune Petersham and we're going to stand to sing.

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 A new song to the Lord for wonders he has done.

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 His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

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 The Lord declared his saving work and made it to be known to all the nations of the world his righteousness is shown.

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 His death was love and gratefulness he has been ever held.

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 And all the nations of the earth have seen what God has done.

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 All the nations of the earth have seen what God has done.

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 Our God who brings the elements by his right hand alone.

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 Acclaim the Lord, O all near, shout out thee and rejoice.

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 Make music and be jubilant to him lift up your voice.

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 With heart make music to the Lord, with heart his graces sing.

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 With trumpet and with heart rejoice before the Lord the King.

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 Let's join together in prayer. Let us pray.

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 Lord our God, we come once again and we seek to praise and worship your great name.

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 We seek that our hearts might be bowed down before you, not through and right spirit of worship.

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 We have much to be thankful for as we reflect upon your loving kindness to us in so many different ways.

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 You're a God of mercy, a God of love, a God of grace.

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 The testimony of which has been witnessed in this place, this day as we have remembered your death until you come again.

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 And so we thank you for this remembrance that has been ours.

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 For we come and we confess that we are so apt to forget.

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 As we find ourselves all too often submerged in the busyness of life.

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 We find ourselves, as it were, even at times at a distance from you.

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 But yet we praise you, O Lord, that you are never at a distance from us.

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 That you are our God.

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 That you are our King.

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 That you have bought us for a price.

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 That we cost you too much to neglect us and to leave us to ourselves.

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 And so we praise you, O Lord, for that covenant security that is ours in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

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 And what many of us here tonight enjoy in terms of such safety, not only for time, but for the endless ages of eternity.

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 We plead, O Lord, that all gathered in here would be able to share in such a wonderful provision.

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 That all our friends here, who are as of yet strangers both to grace and to God.

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 That they would come even this evening hour and taste and see that God is good.

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 For who trusts in him is surely blessed.

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 We hear the wind around us this evening hour.

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 A reminder of your power.

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 We cannot see it, but we can see what it does.

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 How we long, O Lord, to know the wind of your Spirit in our midst.

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 That the power of God unto salvation would work mightily in the hearts of our dear friends here.

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 Who do not know you as their Lord and their Saviour.

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 Perhaps many here who've been sitting in these pews for years, even decades.

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 But who still are unable to know what it is to have that closeness with you.

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 Would you not in your mercy and love come?

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 Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

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 Work in our midst, not for our glory.

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 But so that your name would continue to be high and lifted up as we come and as we seek to worship.

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 And we thank you, Lord, for this time of worship.

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 We know that there are many in this world today who are not afforded such a luxury as this.

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 To be able to come alongside brothers and sisters in the Lord without fear of persecution.

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 And so we pray for the persecuted church.

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 We pray for those who are doing all that they can in their power to worship you.

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 But perhaps in secret, even in fear of their lives.

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 Be with them, O Lord.

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 And help us as we reflect upon such.

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 Not to take for granted that which could so easily be taken from us.

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 And so we thank you, O Lord, for the ordinary means of grace.

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 For those times that you have appointed for us to meet with you.

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 To come around your word.

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 To hear it preached and sung.

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 To come before you with our prayers and supplications.

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 A spirit of thanksgiving and confession.

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 We praise you, O Lord, that this is our testimony.

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 And we pray, O Lord, that for all of us this appetite would only increase.

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 That we would have a thirst and a hunger after righteousness.

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 And that indeed we would be filled.

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 We pray, O Lord, for this congregation.

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 We give thanks for them and for their witness in this town.

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 We pray, O Lord, that this place would continue to be as a beacon of light.

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 In the darkness of this world.

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 Not the building itself, but the people within it.

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 As your church.

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 As your bride.

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 As they go out into the ordinary every day.

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 With the good news of the gospel.

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 We pray that you would help them, one and all.

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 To have that boldness.

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 To share even a word in season.

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 Or even in their walk.

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 That something would be seen in them.

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 Something different.

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 Something that is not of this world.

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 Something that is of Christ.

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 We confess, O Lord, that at times we find it difficult to witness on your side.

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 But your word tells us not to worry what we are to say at certain points.

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 For you will give us the words.

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 And so help us to come with that prayer each and every day.

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 Lord, give me an opportunity to tell of the wondrous works of the cross.

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 For we know that in doing so, you are the God who delights in mercy.

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 And who opens up the way for us to share the good news.

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 And so bless every effort, not only of this congregation, but every congregation in this town.

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 As they seek under the banner of the love of Christ to further your kingdom.

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 That indeed they would see fruit for their labor.

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 For the glory of your name.

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 And we give thanks, especially this evening.

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 That we have a dear sister being added to the number of this congregation as a communicant member.

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 We pray for Lorna that you would be with her.

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 Be with her not only today, but perhaps especially tomorrow on the days that lie ahead.

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 As she reflects upon this profession of faith.

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 This step of faith that she has taken.

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 And we know that she may be a prime target for the evil one.

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 Who seeks to distract us and to bring us down.

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 But yet we praise you, O Lord, for that wonderful promise.

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 That greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

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 And what we pray for, Lorna.

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 We pray for us all.

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 That you would protect us and keep us.

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 Lead us and guide us in your truth.

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 Every step of the way that we would seek at all times to be informed by the infallible promises of Scripture.

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 That are yea and amen in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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 We pray for our young.

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 We give thanks for them as they join with us here this evening hour.

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 We pray, O Lord, that you would touch them in their tender young years.

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 We pray, O Lord, that you would know something of what it is to grow up in this world.

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 Not leaning upon the fragile props of this life.

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 But rather leaning upon the rock of ages.

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 The one who is sure and steadfast.

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 The one who will never let us fall.

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 So be with us, we pray, in our time of worship and in our time of fellowship after.

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 We pray for Marshaally that you would be with her as she embarks on a new chapter in her experience also.

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 That she reaches out to children who are so less fortunate than our own.

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 That you would bless her ministry there in all that she seeks to do.

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 That indeed she too would see fruit for her labor.

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 And we praise you for every servant of yours.

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 And in many ways all of your people are servants called to our own particular ministry.

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 Whether that is in our homes or in our workplaces, in our communities.

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 Wherever that may be.

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 And so help us by the grace of God to fulfill that ministry to the glory of your name.

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 Lead us then and guide us.

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 And forgive us for Jesus' sake.

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 Amen.

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 I'm going to sing once more, friends.

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 This time from Psalm 62.

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 In the Scottish Psalter on page 294.

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 294.

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 And that's reading at verse 5 of the Psalm.

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 We'll sing down to the end of the verse, Mark 9 to the tune, Martyrs.

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 We'll stand to sing.

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 My soul, wait thou with patience.

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 My soul, wait thou with patience.

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 Upon thy God alone.

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 On him dependeth all my hope.

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 And expectation.

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 The only my salvation is.

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 And thy strong rock is here.

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 He only is my sure defense.

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 I shall walk through the end.

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 In God thy glory.

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 In God thy glory this it is.

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 And my salvation sure.

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 In God the rock is all my strength.

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 By my life.

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 I reputable.

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 I reputable.

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 I reputable.

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 I reputable.

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 Savior.

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 I reputable.

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 Savior.

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 Ye peep the blaster of the ends.

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 In the name of the ends.

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 In the name of the valley.

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 In the name of the valley.

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 Before him for ye after are.

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 God is our refuge high.

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 God is our refuge high.

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 Surely we need men.

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 Our refuge high.

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 Surely we need men.

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 Our vanity.

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 Our refuge.

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 And they can arrive.

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 And they can arrive.

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 In players where they can There could be the light of sea.

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 And they can emerge.

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 Even the love of our flag.

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 For I can't allow it to be.

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 Well friends, let's turn together to read the word of God.

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 We're going to turn to the pages of the Old Testament and to the book of Joshua.

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 Joshua chapter 2.

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 I don't know if the numbers correlate to the Pulpit Bible, the Pew Bibles.

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 It's page 215 on my Bible here.

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 Joshua chapter 2.

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 We can read the whole chapter together.

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 Let us hear the word of God.

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 Let us hear the word of God.

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 Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.

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 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab saying, bring out the men who have come to you, who

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 entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.

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 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.

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 And she said, true, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

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 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out.

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 I do not know where the men went.

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 I do not know where the men went.

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 Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.

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 But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.

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 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan, as far as the fords.

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 And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

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 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

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 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites,

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 who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.

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 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you.

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 For the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

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 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that as I have dealt kindly with you,

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 you also will deal kindly with my father's house and give me a pure sign that you will save alive my father and mother,

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 my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.

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 And the men said to her,

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 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.

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 And she said to them,

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 Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned.

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 Then afterwards you may go your way.

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 The men said to her,

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 We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours, that you have made us swear.

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 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down,

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 and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.

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 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless.

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 But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.

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 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.

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 And she said, According to your words, so be it.

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 Then she sent them away, and they departed.

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 And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

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 They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned.

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 And the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing.

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 Then the two men returned.

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 They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun.

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 And they told him all that had happened to them.

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 And they said to Joshua,

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 Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands.

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 And also all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.

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 Amen.

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 We pray God's blessing on that reading of his own holy word.

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 We're going to sing once more, friends.

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 We're going to sing this time from Psalm 84.

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 Again in the Scottish shelter on page 339.

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 Psalm 84.

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 Psalm 84 at verse 7 of the psalm.

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 So they from strength unwearied go, still forward unto strength.

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 Until in Zion they appear before the Lord at length.

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 Lord God of hosts, my prayer hear.

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 O Jacob's God give ear.

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 See God our shield.

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 Look on the face of thine anointed dear.

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 We're going to sing to the end of the psalm to the tune,

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 Wetherby, standing to sing,

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 So they from strength unwearied go.

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 So they from strength unwearied go, still forward unto strength.

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 Until in Zion they appear before the Lord at length.

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 Lord God of hosts, my prayer hear.

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 O Jacob's God give ear.

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 See God our shield.

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 Look on the face of thine anointed dear.

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 For in thy courts, while they excel,

00:24:58.279 --> 00:25:04.279
 A thousand brotherhood.

00:25:04.279 --> 00:25:23.039
 My God's will I keep adore, and dwell in chance of sin.

00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:25.039
 For God the Lord at length.

00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:33.039
 For God the Lord's Son and Shield,

00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:40.039
 In grace and glory day.

00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:41.039
 And dwell in grace and glory day.

00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:51.039
 And dwell with hope, no good from them,

00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:58.039
 That have right thee to live.

00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:09.039
 O thou that art the Lord of hosts,

00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:16.039
 That might is truly blessed,

00:26:16.039 --> 00:26:26.039
 Through thy assured compass,

00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:34.039
 On me alone the rest.

00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:46.039
 Friends, let's turn together to the New Testament now,

00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:48.039
 To the book of Hebrews once again,

00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:50.039
 This time chapter 11.

00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:53.039
 Hebrews 11.

00:26:56.039 --> 00:26:57.039
 Verse 31.

00:26:57.039 --> 00:27:00.039
 By faith Rahab the prostitute,

00:27:00.039 --> 00:27:03.039
 On page 1212.

00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:17.039
 We can take our text this evening from verse 31.

00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:21.039
 Hebrews 11, verse 31.

00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:26.039
 By faith Rahab the prostitute,

00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:30.039
 Did not perish with those who were disobedient,

00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:38.039
 Because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:47.039
 Friends, this evening we're considering the words that we read together in Joshua chapter 2,

00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:53.039
 Alongside the verse we have here in Hebrews 11.

00:27:53.039 --> 00:28:00.039
 Joshua chapter 2 is one of these chapters whereby so often,

00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:04.039
 Many people have, perhaps even myself included,

00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:08.039
 Completely missed the point.

00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:12.039
 That can happen from time to time as we come to scripture.

00:28:12.039 --> 00:28:14.039
 We read a chapter,

00:28:14.039 --> 00:28:20.039
 And there's a detail in the chapter that captures our interest, our attention,

00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:25.039
 Something we find to be worth exploring further.

00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:29.039
 And in doing so, we miss the point.

00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:34.039
 We miss the wider message of the chapter.

00:28:34.039 --> 00:28:40.039
 What it is the Lord is really telling us in his word in that particular chapter.

00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:43.039
 Joshua 2 is no exception.

00:28:44.039 --> 00:28:46.039
 Why is that?

00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:55.039
 Well, pages and pages of commentaries have been devoted to one issue in this passage.

00:28:55.039 --> 00:29:02.039
 The fact that this prostitute, Rahab, told a lie.

00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:05.039
 Should she have done it?

00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:08.039
 Should she not have done it?

00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:12.039
 Are there times when it's okay for us to lie?

00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:17.039
 Or should we never even think about lying?

00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:21.039
 Was her action inexcusable?

00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:28.039
 Now, pontifications and writings galore abound on this one topic.

00:29:28.039 --> 00:29:33.039
 Yet as interesting as it is, and we will look at it slightly,

00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:37.039
 But as interesting as it is, within this passage,

00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:45.039
 There is something far more wonderful, more captivating for us to focus on.

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.039
 It's a bit like preparing a meal for someone.

00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:51.039
 A beautiful meal.

00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:54.039
 A meal that is delightful to eat.

00:29:54.039 --> 00:30:00.039
 But in doing that, we have guests round to eat this delicious meal.

00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:02.039
 And what do they do?

00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:04.039
 They comment on the plate.

00:30:04.039 --> 00:30:06.039
 They don't think about the meal.

00:30:06.039 --> 00:30:07.039
 They don't comment on the meal.

00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:09.039
 They don't consider the meal.

00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:10.039
 They look at the plate.

00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:16.039
 And so in doing so, they're missing the point as to what it is you were trying to do.

00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:17.039
 Show hospitality.

00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:21.039
 Show love by giving this one meal.

00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:24.039
 A completely wrong focus.

00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:27.039
 And so just for a short time this evening, friends,

00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:31.039
 What I'd like us to do is to go through the passage in Hebrews 2.

00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:33.039
 You might want to turn back to Hebrews.

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:34.039
 It's not Hebrews rather.

00:30:34.039 --> 00:30:38.039
 Joshua chapter 2 together.

00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:50.039
 And I'd like us to consider what it is that the Lord really wants us to take away from this fascinating account that we have before us.

00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:57.039
 And in doing so, answer the final question of the weekend.

00:30:57.039 --> 00:31:03.039
 For those who perhaps haven't been here until tonight, we've had a bit of a theme over the weekend.

00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:08.039
 On Friday night, we thought about why it is we're here this weekend.

00:31:08.039 --> 00:31:16.039
 We thought about the story of Peter and that we are here because we are secure in Christ Jesus our Lord.

00:31:16.039 --> 00:31:20.039
 Last night, we thought about how this was possible.

00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:27.039
 It's possible, of course, only because of the precious blood of Christ.

00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:33.039
 This morning, we thought about what we've received as a result of this.

00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:36.039
 We have, of course, received that new and living way.

00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:40.039
 The curtain of Christ's flesh has been torn in two.

00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:41.039
 That curtain of separation.

00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:46.039
 So we have direct access to the Lord.

00:31:46.039 --> 00:31:53.039
 And tonight, friends, as we consider this passage, we're going to conclude by asking the question, who?

00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:58.039
 Who is this all for?

00:31:58.039 --> 00:32:05.039
 Turn then, if you will, in your Bibles to Joshua 2 and chapter 1.

00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:16.039
 And Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho.

00:32:16.039 --> 00:32:24.039
 And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.

00:32:24.039 --> 00:32:31.039
 Now, a little bit of context will, at this point, be helpful for us just to set the scene.

00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:45.039
 Because what we have before us here is a narrative that is set against that backdrop of the conquest of the land, that land that has been promised to God's people.

00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:58.039
 If you know the story, you might remember that some years earlier, Moses had sent 12 spies to the land of Canaan in order to report back as to what was happening in this land.

00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:02.039
 And, of course, only two spies returned with a favorable report.

00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:06.039
 All the others were saying, it's a no-go area, don't go near it.

00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:16.039
 Whereas, two, they came back and they said, Yes, yes, it is possible that the Lord will give this land to his people.

00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:21.039
 And these two spies were, of course, Joshua and Caleb.

00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:26.039
 Now, some years later, what we find is that Joshua does the same thing.

00:33:26.039 --> 00:33:30.039
 He doesn't send 12 spies out, but rather two.

00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:43.039
 And he sends these spies out to find out if the land of Canaan could actually be conquered.

00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.039
 Now, some have criticized Joshua for doing this.

00:33:46.039 --> 00:33:49.039
 Why is he sending spies out?

00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:52.039
 They know the promises of God.

00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:55.039
 They know the land has been promised to God's people.

00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:58.039
 So why bother sending these spies out at all?

00:33:58.039 --> 00:34:01.039
 What a lack of faith.

00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:05.039
 And, you know, the wonderful thing about Scripture is this.

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:11.039
 Scripture doesn't paint a perfect picture of what it is to be a Christian.

00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:14.039
 If it did, we would all despair.

00:34:14.039 --> 00:34:21.039
 What makes Scripture all the more believable is, in many ways, it's just like a mirror.

00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:29.039
 And as we see the way people act from Genesis through to Revelation, what really we see is ourselves.

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:40.039
 We ought to be surprised by how people act in Scripture as if somehow they ought to be different to how we ourselves would act.

00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:51.039
 But it's easy, of course, for us to pass judgment from the comfort of our own armchairs, as it were, as if to say, well, they shouldn't have sent out these spies.

00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:53.039
 But he should have.

00:34:53.039 --> 00:35:10.039
 He should have because in God's perfect plan for whatever reason, this sending out of the spies, yes, they knew the promises, but this sending out the spies was to form the narrative that we have here before us.

00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:17.000
 God's purposes for us aren't always what we think they might immediately appear to be.

00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:18.259
 And that's what we see here.

00:35:18.779 --> 00:35:28.079
 Because really what we find is that within this little story, we see a reflection of the greatest story of all.

00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:31.779
 The greatest story of time and of eternity.

00:35:31.940 --> 00:35:37.320
 That story of redemption that is relevant to each and every one of us here tonight.

00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:41.000
 Whether we are young, middle-aged, or old.

00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:46.700
 As we consider the story of Rahab, it has something to say to us.

00:35:47.680 --> 00:35:56.059
 And so they, the spies, they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.

00:35:56.059 --> 00:36:07.000
 These two men who Joshua had sent out in the name of the Lord, they come and they lodge in perhaps a strange set.

00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:09.300
 The house of digs, as it were.

00:36:09.980 --> 00:36:12.080
 This is the house of a prostitute.

00:36:12.240 --> 00:36:15.400
 These are God's servants.

00:36:15.680 --> 00:36:16.760
 What's happening here?

00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:21.700
 Well, we need to think, first of all, what do we know about this woman?

00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:23.900
 On the surface, at least.

00:36:24.700 --> 00:36:27.640
 And again, it's so easy for us to judge, is it not?

00:36:27.980 --> 00:36:28.800
 On the surface.

00:36:29.120 --> 00:36:33.200
 On the surface, she's someone who had very little going for her.

00:36:33.500 --> 00:36:35.080
 She's a Gentile, firstly.

00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:38.199
 She's out with the covenant people of God.

00:36:38.299 --> 00:36:44.219
 She's out with the religious privileges that accompanied the Jewish people of God.

00:36:44.299 --> 00:36:47.799
 And not only that, she was an Amorite.

00:36:48.699 --> 00:36:53.940
 Now, Canaan was awash with all kinds of different people living there.

00:36:53.940 --> 00:37:04.079
 The Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, the Jebusites, the Amorites.

00:37:04.119 --> 00:37:10.519
 A whole different mix of all kinds of different people worshipping all kinds of different gods.

00:37:11.840 --> 00:37:15.679
 Yet in this society, it was the Amorites of whom Rahab was.

00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:19.259
 They were the most wicked.

00:37:19.899 --> 00:37:21.139
 The most wicked.

00:37:21.899 --> 00:37:22.299
 Why?

00:37:22.919 --> 00:37:35.500
 Well, they were a people who were so wicked that they thought nothing of sacrificing their own children in their own depraved religious practices.

00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:40.019
 And so really, they were ripe for God's judgment.

00:37:40.019 --> 00:37:50.179
 But not only was Rahab identified with this wicked people, she herself, of course, was a prostitute.

00:37:51.199 --> 00:37:55.400
 She was a woman, no doubt, who led a difficult life.

00:37:56.259 --> 00:38:01.900
 Again, it's always good for us to try and get into the shoes of the characters that we see in Scripture.

00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:05.579
 What's led her to this place in the first place?

00:38:05.579 --> 00:38:13.699
 A woman who, in order to make ends meet, has resorted to selling her own body.

00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:17.279
 This is a human being created in the image of God.

00:38:19.179 --> 00:38:20.860
 So what on earth are they doing?

00:38:21.779 --> 00:38:26.579
 What are these spies playing at, frequenting her home?

00:38:27.139 --> 00:38:31.380
 Well, in many ways, this was a tactical move, a clever move.

00:38:31.380 --> 00:38:36.380
 Men would often come and go from places like this without being questioned.

00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:38.180
 That's just what happened.

00:38:38.840 --> 00:38:45.539
 And so in coming to Rahab's house, these two men were able to discreetly slip into Canaan.

00:38:46.320 --> 00:38:52.579
 And hopefully, that was the plan, to spy out the land incognito, as it were.

00:38:52.700 --> 00:38:58.260
 Nobody would really notice them coming and going, doing what they needed to do.

00:38:59.160 --> 00:39:00.300
 Or so they thought.

00:39:01.380 --> 00:39:05.780
 Because very soon, the text doesn't tell us how or why this happens.

00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:10.099
 But very soon, the cover of these men is blown.

00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:15.079
 So much so that the king of Jericho gets wind of these intruders.

00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:15.900
 And what does he do?

00:39:15.980 --> 00:39:19.700
 Of course, he seeks to have them dealt with.

00:39:19.700 --> 00:39:20.559
 Verse 2.

00:39:20.559 --> 00:39:34.679
 This is where it gets interesting.

00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:39.539
 This is where we begin to start seeing a little bit of the main point of this narrative.

00:39:39.539 --> 00:39:40.139
 Verse 3.

00:39:40.139 --> 00:40:10.139


00:40:10.139 --> 00:40:22.400
 Now, what is she doing here?

00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:27.380
 She is, of course, telling a blatant lie.

00:40:28.220 --> 00:40:29.160
 A blatant lie.

00:40:29.240 --> 00:40:31.680
 The spies hadn't gone out at all.

00:40:31.740 --> 00:40:38.480
 In fact, what she had done was she had hidden them on the roof under stalks of flax.

00:40:38.480 --> 00:40:41.139
 But what do we expect?

00:40:42.300 --> 00:40:46.320
 What do we expect from this, as it were, lady of the night?

00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:47.440
 This Amorite.

00:40:47.659 --> 00:40:49.139
 You'd expect nothing less.

00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:50.400
 True to form.

00:40:50.800 --> 00:40:52.340
 She's lying through her teeth.

00:40:52.420 --> 00:40:55.860
 That's just the way these kind of people operate, isn't it?

00:40:55.860 --> 00:40:58.400
 That's the way we think.

00:40:59.960 --> 00:41:06.180
 But sometimes there's a deeper narrative, even in the way people appear to be operating.

00:41:07.740 --> 00:41:09.820
 That reminds me of a story.

00:41:09.880 --> 00:41:10.980
 I'm sure many of you know it.

00:41:11.940 --> 00:41:13.380
 The story of Corrie ten Boom.

00:41:15.099 --> 00:41:16.280
 An interesting story.

00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:26.240
 And in that story, we read of Nazi soldiers bursting into a house looking for men to work in munition factories.

00:41:27.160 --> 00:41:37.400
 Corrie ten Boom's nephews, they had been hidden under a trapdoor in the kitchen floor in order to avoid being taken away.

00:41:38.300 --> 00:41:40.880
 The trapdoor was covered by a rug.

00:41:41.200 --> 00:41:44.060
 And on top of the rug was the kitchen table.

00:41:44.059 --> 00:41:55.400
 So that when the soldiers came in and asked where the boys were, Corrie ten Boom's niece, she pointed to the table, to the floor, to the rug, and she said,

00:41:55.519 --> 00:41:55.940
 They're there.

00:41:57.099 --> 00:41:57.679
 They're there.

00:41:59.059 --> 00:42:01.159
 Now, of course, there was nothing under the table.

00:42:01.340 --> 00:42:09.400
 And so the soldiers thought that this little girl was just being sarcastic, that she was having a bit of a ploy, a bit of a joke.

00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:10.799
 And so they went on.

00:42:10.800 --> 00:42:17.120
 They left Corrie ten Boom's house and the nephews were safe.

00:42:17.280 --> 00:42:20.680
 Their honesty paid off.

00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:22.519
 The boys weren't found.

00:42:22.620 --> 00:42:32.880
 Now, some would say that this young girl's actions were indeed foolish and naive, that they could have backfired terribly, but still she trusted in God.

00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:36.260
 But the reality is this, friends.

00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:37.440
 We have these stories.

00:42:38.640 --> 00:42:46.780
 But the reality is this, that we don't always have the courage, do we, to take such risks?

00:42:46.780 --> 00:42:53.620
 Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we'd rather not be.

00:42:55.060 --> 00:42:56.720
 And that's what we see with Rahab.

00:42:57.700 --> 00:43:02.320
 She, of course, is in no way mature in her faith at this point.

00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:05.800
 And so she's forced to lie.

00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:11.840
 She's forced to lie for what she saw as the greater good.

00:43:13.100 --> 00:43:18.780
 And in doing so, and this is interesting, not to excuse lying, but make that clear.

00:43:19.300 --> 00:43:26.180
 But in doing so, the Lord accommodates such an action.

00:43:26.380 --> 00:43:27.800
 And that's the way our Lord works.

00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:32.260
 He's able to take good out of evil.

00:43:32.260 --> 00:43:35.260
 He's able to do that because God is God.

00:43:35.320 --> 00:43:40.940
 It's not that he condones evil, but he's able to take good out of evil.

00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:45.820
 That's just the mystery of providence that, in many ways, we don't have an answer to.

00:43:46.380 --> 00:43:47.160
 But it's true.

00:43:48.220 --> 00:43:51.860
 He doesn't do this, as I said, because the action is correct.

00:43:51.860 --> 00:44:02.980
 But rather because in him, as we read in Scripture, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.

00:44:04.019 --> 00:44:11.700
 But rather one who knows exactly what we're doing and why we're doing it.

00:44:11.720 --> 00:44:14.519
 And he knew that with Rahab.

00:44:15.320 --> 00:44:19.980
 And so leaving the lie aside just now, let's really think about what's happening here.

00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:26.940
 Here we have Rahab, this worthless prostitute in the eyes of society, someone who was the lowest of the low.

00:44:27.000 --> 00:44:27.880
 And what's she doing?

00:44:28.260 --> 00:44:31.480
 She is protecting God's people.

00:44:32.000 --> 00:44:34.340
 Protecting God's people.

00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:35.719
 And that's the crux of the matter.

00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:38.960
 She had a choice to make.

00:44:39.420 --> 00:44:44.099
 She could either expose God's people or she could do what she did.

00:44:44.199 --> 00:44:48.940
 She could protect God's people by telling that lie.

00:44:48.940 --> 00:44:57.400
 Now, I'm sure there's many opinions in here just now as to, I said we're leaving the lie to one side.

00:44:57.480 --> 00:44:59.340
 But just coming back for one moment.

00:44:59.860 --> 00:45:03.440
 There's many opinions in here as to what she did.

00:45:04.500 --> 00:45:06.000
 But let me ask you this.

00:45:07.340 --> 00:45:08.260
 What would you do?

00:45:10.019 --> 00:45:12.200
 What would you do?

00:45:12.199 --> 00:45:15.339
 It's a searching question.

00:45:15.980 --> 00:45:20.899
 In any given situation, ask yourself the question, what would I actually do?

00:45:21.019 --> 00:45:22.419
 We know the textbook answer.

00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:28.219
 But what would I do if I was faced with the same set of circumstances?

00:45:28.359 --> 00:45:32.460
 It's always good to put ourselves in other people's shoes.

00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:37.419
 You can't talk the talk, as they say, until you've walked the walk.

00:45:37.420 --> 00:45:40.119
 What would you do?

00:45:40.280 --> 00:45:48.460
 And more than that, if an account was to be written of your life as it is of Rahab's, as a child of God,

00:45:49.059 --> 00:45:50.980
 what would it look like?

00:45:51.840 --> 00:45:53.740
 Would it be without fault?

00:45:54.360 --> 00:46:00.059
 Would it be squeaky clean without one account of you ever having been told a lie?

00:46:00.280 --> 00:46:01.320
 Why am I saying this?

00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:04.639
 Am I trying to gloss over sin to make sin light?

00:46:04.700 --> 00:46:05.539
 Of course not.

00:46:05.539 --> 00:46:08.099
 Sin cost our saviour.

00:46:09.460 --> 00:46:10.420
 Certainly not.

00:46:10.480 --> 00:46:16.300
 But what I am doing is this, friends, is to try and make us all aware, readily aware,

00:46:16.460 --> 00:46:22.019
 of the reality of what it is to be in this world.

00:46:22.940 --> 00:46:27.099
 It's so easy to look in, as I've said before, from our ivory tower

00:46:27.099 --> 00:46:35.539
 and impose our own opinions on situations when we ourselves might not act any differently.

00:46:36.059 --> 00:46:41.739
 Things are not always as black and white as perhaps we might think.

00:46:42.579 --> 00:46:44.480
 And so, just digging a little deeper,

00:46:45.579 --> 00:46:47.719
 we see that taking such a decision,

00:46:48.219 --> 00:46:50.980
 it was so costly for Rahab.

00:46:50.980 --> 00:46:55.420
 And this is where we begin to see things fleshing out, as it were.

00:46:56.139 --> 00:46:58.440
 What she did had huge implications.

00:46:58.579 --> 00:46:59.800
 As I said, she had a choice.

00:47:00.039 --> 00:47:05.300
 She could expose God's people or she could hide God's people.

00:47:05.300 --> 00:47:07.840
 And what she did had huge implications.

00:47:07.980 --> 00:47:10.640
 Not only for her, but for her family.

00:47:10.800 --> 00:47:15.620
 Because if they'd searched the house, if they'd found the spies, what would have happened?

00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:23.200
 Well, she and her family, quite likely they would have been tortured or even killed.

00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:30.899
 So, before we go branding her a liar, let's just consider at this point her courage.

00:47:31.859 --> 00:47:33.859
 But that begs the question, why?

00:47:34.859 --> 00:47:41.960
 Why would Rahab do such a thing to put her own life and her family's life at risk?

00:47:42.039 --> 00:47:43.139
 Why would she do this?

00:47:44.359 --> 00:47:47.779
 Well, the reason for her actions are brought to light with her own words.

00:47:47.780 --> 00:47:53.660
 Just notice what she says to the spies as she's in the middle of hiding them in verse 9.

00:47:54.500 --> 00:47:55.620
 Verse 9.

00:47:56.500 --> 00:47:58.040
 And she said to the men,

00:47:58.860 --> 00:48:01.560
 I know that the Lord has given you the land,

00:48:02.120 --> 00:48:06.980
 and that the fear of you has fallen upon us,

00:48:07.540 --> 00:48:12.640
 and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

00:48:12.880 --> 00:48:17.320
 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea,

00:48:17.780 --> 00:48:20.480
 before you when you came out of Egypt,

00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:24.340
 and what you did to the kings of the Amorites,

00:48:24.580 --> 00:48:26.140
 who were beyond the Jordan,

00:48:26.700 --> 00:48:29.540
 to Zion and Og,

00:48:30.040 --> 00:48:33.400
 who you devoted to destruction.

00:48:34.080 --> 00:48:35.660
 Particularly those words,

00:48:36.260 --> 00:48:39.519
 for we have heard.

00:48:39.960 --> 00:48:43.300
 For we have heard.

00:48:43.300 --> 00:48:44.220
 She'd heard.

00:48:44.900 --> 00:48:45.580
 She'd heard.

00:48:45.580 --> 00:48:48.220
 She'd heard of the mighty works of the God of Israel.

00:48:48.539 --> 00:48:49.920
 She'd heard that he'd,

00:48:49.960 --> 00:48:51.180
 we don't know how she'd heard,

00:48:51.280 --> 00:48:52.700
 perhaps it was a talk on the street,

00:48:52.940 --> 00:48:55.060
 have you heard what the God of Israel has done?

00:48:55.580 --> 00:48:58.740
 She'd heard that he had parted the Red Sea,

00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:01.780
 and he'd brought his people to safety.

00:49:02.100 --> 00:49:04.400
 She'd heard that God had destroyed

00:49:04.400 --> 00:49:07.320
 two of the most wicked Amorite kings

00:49:07.320 --> 00:49:09.340
 that had ever lived.

00:49:09.340 --> 00:49:11.800
 She had heard.

00:49:13.740 --> 00:49:15.400
 Now this Amorite prostitute

00:49:15.400 --> 00:49:17.480
 may not have known anything

00:49:17.480 --> 00:49:19.660
 of the word of God.

00:49:20.660 --> 00:49:23.539
 She may never have had any godly influence

00:49:23.539 --> 00:49:24.519
 in her life,

00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:28.380
 yet she heard of the power of God.

00:49:29.340 --> 00:49:30.500
 And what did she do

00:49:30.500 --> 00:49:34.539
 with this small, small fragment of knowledge

00:49:34.539 --> 00:49:35.740
 of the God of Israel?

00:49:35.739 --> 00:49:35.859
 Israel.

00:49:37.959 --> 00:49:39.259
 She believed it.

00:49:40.639 --> 00:49:41.919
 She believed it.

00:49:43.219 --> 00:49:44.199
 Quite simply.

00:49:45.299 --> 00:49:46.479
 What does it say in verse 11?

00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:47.619
 Beautiful words.

00:49:48.659 --> 00:49:49.719
 And as soon as we,

00:49:49.899 --> 00:49:50.579
 she and her family,

00:49:50.759 --> 00:49:51.399
 heard it,

00:49:52.059 --> 00:49:53.399
 this is after them hearing

00:49:53.399 --> 00:49:54.919
 of the power of the God of Israel,

00:49:55.359 --> 00:49:57.299
 and as soon as we heard it,

00:49:58.079 --> 00:50:00.379
 our hearts melted,

00:50:00.939 --> 00:50:03.939
 and there was no spirit left in any man.

00:50:03.940 --> 00:50:06.260
 That's just like when your breath is taken away.

00:50:06.559 --> 00:50:08.780
 There was no spirit left in any man

00:50:08.780 --> 00:50:10.360
 because of you.

00:50:11.059 --> 00:50:12.880
 For the Lord your God,

00:50:13.400 --> 00:50:16.320
 he is God in the heavens above

00:50:16.320 --> 00:50:19.000
 and on the earth beneath.

00:50:20.340 --> 00:50:21.340
 Isn't that something?

00:50:21.340 --> 00:50:27.700
 Here we are in a polytheist society,

00:50:27.800 --> 00:50:30.260
 a society where there are many gods

00:50:30.260 --> 00:50:32.340
 where anything went in terms of who

00:50:32.340 --> 00:50:34.480
 or what you worshipped.

00:50:35.340 --> 00:50:37.660
 All the worship of the varied

00:50:37.660 --> 00:50:40.620
 and numerous gods was acceptable.

00:50:41.180 --> 00:50:42.039
 You do what you want,

00:50:42.100 --> 00:50:43.019
 that's fine for you.

00:50:43.180 --> 00:50:44.079
 You do what you want,

00:50:44.120 --> 00:50:44.840
 that's fine.

00:50:45.640 --> 00:50:46.559
 Sounds familiar.

00:50:48.300 --> 00:50:49.340
 Sounds very familiar.

00:50:49.340 --> 00:50:52.480
 And so here she is

00:50:52.480 --> 00:50:56.559
 in that polytheist society.

00:50:57.400 --> 00:50:58.480
 And what's she doing

00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:00.240
 in the backdrop,

00:51:00.539 --> 00:51:01.539
 against the backdrop

00:51:01.539 --> 00:51:04.100
 of this godless society,

00:51:04.780 --> 00:51:05.840
 against the backdrop

00:51:05.840 --> 00:51:08.539
 of her godless upbringing,

00:51:09.400 --> 00:51:10.460
 against the backdrop

00:51:10.460 --> 00:51:14.500
 of her godless way of life?

00:51:14.500 --> 00:51:17.480
 she is casting her lot

00:51:17.480 --> 00:51:21.500
 in with the God of Israel.

00:51:21.639 --> 00:51:22.980
 And so that, dear friends,

00:51:23.059 --> 00:51:24.659
 is the point of the passage.

00:51:25.599 --> 00:51:27.719
 Not the lie that was told,

00:51:28.860 --> 00:51:30.980
 but the amazing love

00:51:30.980 --> 00:51:32.639
 and matchless mercy

00:51:32.639 --> 00:51:34.820
 of the God of Israel,

00:51:34.900 --> 00:51:36.039
 the God of heaven,

00:51:36.380 --> 00:51:37.480
 the God of earth,

00:51:37.860 --> 00:51:40.119
 a love that is not restricted,

00:51:40.119 --> 00:51:43.099
 a love that is not restricted

00:51:43.099 --> 00:51:44.339
 by who we are

00:51:44.339 --> 00:51:45.980
 or what we've done,

00:51:47.159 --> 00:51:49.319
 a love that stretches out

00:51:49.319 --> 00:51:50.940
 even to the lowest

00:51:50.940 --> 00:51:52.299
 of the low of society,

00:51:52.420 --> 00:51:53.759
 those who no one wants

00:51:53.759 --> 00:51:55.099
 anything to do with,

00:51:55.699 --> 00:51:56.859
 those whom we cross

00:51:56.859 --> 00:51:58.940
 to the other side of the street

00:51:58.940 --> 00:51:59.980
 when we see them.

00:52:00.440 --> 00:52:02.239
 It's a love that stretches

00:52:02.239 --> 00:52:03.799
 to all.

00:52:05.480 --> 00:52:06.859
 That's who it's for.

00:52:06.860 --> 00:52:11.099
 You might be here tonight

00:52:11.099 --> 00:52:12.700
 and you might not be a Christian.

00:52:12.860 --> 00:52:14.579
 You might be unconverted.

00:52:17.380 --> 00:52:18.559
 And I suspect,

00:52:18.920 --> 00:52:20.160
 without making assumptions,

00:52:20.440 --> 00:52:21.240
 but I suspect

00:52:21.240 --> 00:52:22.760
 that the reality is

00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:23.840
 that you know

00:52:23.840 --> 00:52:25.740
 far more

00:52:25.740 --> 00:52:27.800
 than Rahab

00:52:27.800 --> 00:52:28.539
 ever,

00:52:28.760 --> 00:52:30.180
 ever knew.

00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:31.640
 You know all about

00:52:31.640 --> 00:52:33.620
 the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:52:33.760 --> 00:52:34.400
 You know at least

00:52:34.400 --> 00:52:36.420
 theoretically in your head

00:52:36.420 --> 00:52:38.579
 about his matchless love

00:52:38.579 --> 00:52:39.340
 and mercy.

00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:40.320
 You've heard about it

00:52:40.320 --> 00:52:41.900
 week after week,

00:52:42.380 --> 00:52:43.380
 year after year,

00:52:43.559 --> 00:52:44.720
 decade after decade.

00:52:44.840 --> 00:52:46.039
 You've heard the same thing

00:52:46.039 --> 00:52:47.599
 coming from this pulpit,

00:52:47.700 --> 00:52:47.940
 yes,

00:52:48.139 --> 00:52:49.320
 from different mouths,

00:52:49.599 --> 00:52:51.460
 but still from the mouth of God.

00:52:52.800 --> 00:52:53.780
 You know.

00:52:55.059 --> 00:52:55.680
 But then you say,

00:52:55.760 --> 00:52:56.659
 I don't know enough.

00:52:57.599 --> 00:52:58.940
 I don't know enough

00:52:58.940 --> 00:52:59.840
 to be a Christian.

00:53:00.119 --> 00:53:01.420
 I lack understanding

00:53:02.059 --> 00:53:03.039
 of this doctrine

00:53:03.039 --> 00:53:04.300
 or that doctrine.

00:53:04.300 --> 00:53:05.380
 I need to know

00:53:05.380 --> 00:53:06.519
 my Bible better

00:53:06.519 --> 00:53:07.920
 before I can

00:53:07.920 --> 00:53:09.160
 become a Christian.

00:53:09.260 --> 00:53:10.260
 I've got a long way

00:53:10.260 --> 00:53:10.640
 to go.

00:53:10.860 --> 00:53:11.180
 Well friends,

00:53:11.220 --> 00:53:11.980
 that is rubbish.

00:53:13.240 --> 00:53:14.120
 That is a lie

00:53:14.120 --> 00:53:15.100
 from the pit

00:53:15.100 --> 00:53:16.180
 of hell

00:53:16.180 --> 00:53:16.940
 itself.

00:53:17.140 --> 00:53:18.240
 Just look at Rahab.

00:53:18.420 --> 00:53:19.620
 Very little

00:53:19.620 --> 00:53:20.440
 knowledge,

00:53:20.680 --> 00:53:20.940
 but

00:53:20.940 --> 00:53:23.700
 she knew enough.

00:53:25.160 --> 00:53:26.280
 She knew enough.

00:53:27.260 --> 00:53:27.960
 She knew

00:53:27.960 --> 00:53:28.620
 something

00:53:28.620 --> 00:53:30.340
 of the power

00:53:30.340 --> 00:53:31.539
 of God.

00:53:31.539 --> 00:53:31.980
 Friends,

00:53:32.119 --> 00:53:32.960
 Bible knowledge

00:53:32.960 --> 00:53:33.840
 will come,

00:53:34.539 --> 00:53:35.539
 but can I plead

00:53:35.539 --> 00:53:36.119
 with you,

00:53:36.539 --> 00:53:37.759
 in the meantime,

00:53:38.500 --> 00:53:39.440
 while you still

00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:40.320
 have time,

00:53:40.860 --> 00:53:41.340
 make,

00:53:41.940 --> 00:53:43.199
 or work rather,

00:53:43.800 --> 00:53:45.099
 with what you've got.

00:53:45.139 --> 00:53:45.920
 And you have got

00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:47.059
 plenty to work with,

00:53:47.139 --> 00:53:48.219
 even if it were

00:53:48.219 --> 00:53:49.199
 only the words

00:53:49.199 --> 00:53:50.860
 of John 3, 16.

00:53:51.340 --> 00:53:52.039
 For God

00:53:52.039 --> 00:53:53.400
 so loved the world

00:53:53.400 --> 00:53:54.420
 that he gave

00:53:54.420 --> 00:53:55.579
 his only begotten

00:53:55.579 --> 00:53:56.000
 Son,

00:53:56.659 --> 00:53:57.759
 that whosoever

00:53:57.759 --> 00:53:58.940
 believes in him

00:53:58.940 --> 00:54:00.519
 should not perish,

00:54:01.059 --> 00:54:01.740
 but have

00:54:01.740 --> 00:54:03.380
 everlasting life.

00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:04.039
 That's enough.

00:54:04.659 --> 00:54:05.320
 That's all

00:54:05.320 --> 00:54:06.280
 we need

00:54:06.280 --> 00:54:07.240
 to know

00:54:07.240 --> 00:54:08.280
 tonight.

00:54:08.360 --> 00:54:09.280
 And we know it.

00:54:09.679 --> 00:54:10.800
 We know it in here.

00:54:11.579 --> 00:54:11.960
 But friends,

00:54:12.039 --> 00:54:12.880
 do we know it

00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:14.579
 in here?

00:54:19.700 --> 00:54:20.700
 So if we were

00:54:20.700 --> 00:54:21.280
 to write

00:54:21.280 --> 00:54:23.159
 our own

00:54:23.159 --> 00:54:23.599
 account

00:54:23.599 --> 00:54:24.539
 of Rahab's

00:54:24.539 --> 00:54:24.960
 life,

00:54:24.960 --> 00:54:27.059
 I wonder

00:54:27.059 --> 00:54:28.740
 what would it say.

00:54:29.320 --> 00:54:30.119
 I was struck

00:54:30.119 --> 00:54:30.480
 by,

00:54:31.039 --> 00:54:31.760
 as I was studying

00:54:31.760 --> 00:54:32.039
 this,

00:54:32.179 --> 00:54:33.840
 just by how

00:54:33.840 --> 00:54:34.440
 the writer

00:54:34.440 --> 00:54:35.220
 to the Hebrews

00:54:35.220 --> 00:54:36.860
 puts this.

00:54:37.900 --> 00:54:38.559
 When we turn

00:54:38.559 --> 00:54:39.519
 to Hebrews 11,

00:54:39.740 --> 00:54:40.400
 31,

00:54:41.840 --> 00:54:44.039
 if we were

00:54:44.039 --> 00:54:45.480
 to write

00:54:45.480 --> 00:54:46.400
 about Rahab

00:54:46.400 --> 00:54:46.920
 tonight,

00:54:48.360 --> 00:54:49.619
 no doubt

00:54:49.619 --> 00:54:50.340
 we would focus

00:54:50.340 --> 00:54:51.019
 on the negative.

00:54:52.920 --> 00:54:53.659
 Somehow that's

00:54:53.659 --> 00:54:54.339
 the way we've

00:54:54.339 --> 00:54:56.019
 hardwired.

00:54:57.319 --> 00:54:58.059
 She told

00:54:58.059 --> 00:54:58.559
 a lie.

00:54:59.480 --> 00:54:59.879
 She was a

00:54:59.879 --> 00:55:00.699
 prostitute.

00:55:01.219 --> 00:55:01.659
 She was an

00:55:01.659 --> 00:55:02.399
 Amorite.

00:55:03.119 --> 00:55:03.779
 That's what we

00:55:03.779 --> 00:55:04.819
 would be

00:55:04.819 --> 00:55:05.500
 naturally

00:55:05.500 --> 00:55:06.799
 inclined to

00:55:06.799 --> 00:55:07.239
 share,

00:55:07.480 --> 00:55:08.079
 just to lay

00:55:08.079 --> 00:55:08.480
 it out

00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:09.299
 on the

00:55:09.299 --> 00:55:09.679
 line.

00:55:10.839 --> 00:55:11.219
 But that's

00:55:11.219 --> 00:55:11.639
 not what the

00:55:11.639 --> 00:55:12.299
 Lord shares.

00:55:13.460 --> 00:55:13.920
 What do we

00:55:13.920 --> 00:55:14.279
 read?

00:55:15.460 --> 00:55:16.139
 Astonishing

00:55:16.139 --> 00:55:17.579
 words.

00:55:18.239 --> 00:55:19.420
 By faith,

00:55:19.980 --> 00:55:20.559
 Rahab,

00:55:20.739 --> 00:55:21.659
 the prostitute,

00:55:21.879 --> 00:55:22.259
 not,

00:55:22.260 --> 00:55:23.480
 glossing over

00:55:23.480 --> 00:55:23.960
 who she

00:55:23.960 --> 00:55:24.440
 was or

00:55:24.440 --> 00:55:24.860
 what she

00:55:24.860 --> 00:55:25.180
 was.

00:55:25.660 --> 00:55:26.780
 By faith,

00:55:27.340 --> 00:55:27.960
 Rahab,

00:55:28.040 --> 00:55:28.940
 the prostitute,

00:55:29.180 --> 00:55:30.220
 did not

00:55:30.220 --> 00:55:31.500
 perish with

00:55:31.500 --> 00:55:32.600
 those who

00:55:32.600 --> 00:55:33.980
 were disobedient

00:55:33.980 --> 00:55:35.960
 because she

00:55:35.960 --> 00:55:36.880
 had given a

00:55:36.880 --> 00:55:38.120
 friendly welcome

00:55:38.120 --> 00:55:41.020
 to the

00:55:41.020 --> 00:55:41.620
 spies.

00:55:42.640 --> 00:55:43.000
 And not

00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:43.660
 only had she

00:55:43.660 --> 00:55:44.160
 given a

00:55:44.160 --> 00:55:45.020
 friendly welcome

00:55:45.020 --> 00:55:45.500
 to the

00:55:45.500 --> 00:55:45.980
 spies,

00:55:46.980 --> 00:55:47.440
 but she's

00:55:47.440 --> 00:55:48.040
 beginning to

00:55:48.040 --> 00:55:48.680
 show that she

00:55:48.680 --> 00:55:49.440
 knows the

00:55:49.440 --> 00:55:50.760
 God of

00:55:50.760 --> 00:55:51.700
 the spies.

00:55:51.820 --> 00:55:52.080
 Look at

00:55:52.080 --> 00:55:52.840
 verse 12.

00:55:53.560 --> 00:55:53.980
 This is

00:55:53.980 --> 00:55:54.440
 Rahab.

00:55:54.940 --> 00:55:55.500
 Now then,

00:55:55.840 --> 00:55:57.200
 please swear

00:55:57.200 --> 00:55:58.140
 to me by

00:55:58.140 --> 00:55:58.740
 the Lord

00:55:58.740 --> 00:55:59.680
 that as I

00:55:59.680 --> 00:56:00.300
 have dealt

00:56:00.300 --> 00:56:01.280
 kindly with

00:56:01.280 --> 00:56:01.660
 you,

00:56:02.080 --> 00:56:02.840
 you also

00:56:02.840 --> 00:56:03.420
 will deal

00:56:03.420 --> 00:56:04.200
 kindly with

00:56:04.200 --> 00:56:05.020
 my father's

00:56:05.020 --> 00:56:05.520
 house and

00:56:05.520 --> 00:56:06.180
 give me

00:56:06.180 --> 00:56:07.100
 a sure

00:56:07.100 --> 00:56:08.380
 sign that

00:56:08.380 --> 00:56:08.620
 you will

00:56:08.620 --> 00:56:09.640
 save alive

00:56:09.640 --> 00:56:10.440
 my father

00:56:10.440 --> 00:56:11.320
 and mother,

00:56:11.440 --> 00:56:12.020
 my brothers

00:56:12.020 --> 00:56:13.360
 and sisters

00:56:13.360 --> 00:56:14.460
 and all

00:56:14.460 --> 00:56:15.100
 who belong

00:56:15.100 --> 00:56:15.620
 to them

00:56:15.620 --> 00:56:16.300
 and deliver

00:56:16.300 --> 00:56:18.320
 our lives

00:56:18.320 --> 00:56:19.980
 from death.

00:56:22.559 --> 00:56:23.539
 She wants

00:56:23.539 --> 00:56:23.900
 to be

00:56:23.900 --> 00:56:24.420
 saved.

00:56:26.460 --> 00:56:28.080
 She cares

00:56:28.080 --> 00:56:29.440
 about being

00:56:29.440 --> 00:56:30.240
 spared

00:56:30.240 --> 00:56:32.420
 by God.

00:56:32.820 --> 00:56:33.519
 She doesn't

00:56:33.519 --> 00:56:34.019
 want to be

00:56:34.019 --> 00:56:34.500
 under the

00:56:34.500 --> 00:56:35.740
 judgment of

00:56:35.740 --> 00:56:36.059
 God.

00:56:36.160 --> 00:56:36.539
 She wants

00:56:36.539 --> 00:56:37.539
 to be

00:56:37.539 --> 00:56:38.360
 remembered.

00:56:40.300 --> 00:56:40.900
 And really,

00:56:41.380 --> 00:56:42.180
 is that the

00:56:42.180 --> 00:56:43.000
 testimony of

00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:43.539
 someone who

00:56:43.539 --> 00:56:44.600
 doesn't know

00:56:44.599 --> 00:56:46.059
 the Lord?

00:56:48.019 --> 00:56:48.920
 Someone who

00:56:48.920 --> 00:56:50.460
 doesn't care

00:56:50.460 --> 00:56:51.579
 about the

00:56:51.579 --> 00:56:51.980
 Lord?

00:56:52.799 --> 00:56:53.500
 Because what

00:56:53.500 --> 00:56:54.360
 we see here

00:56:54.360 --> 00:56:54.980
 is that she's

00:56:54.980 --> 00:56:56.579
 pleading for

00:56:56.579 --> 00:56:57.940
 deliverance,

00:56:58.039 --> 00:56:58.900
 not only for

00:56:58.900 --> 00:56:59.980
 her, but

00:56:59.980 --> 00:57:01.219
 for her

00:57:01.219 --> 00:57:02.000
 family.

00:57:02.079 --> 00:57:02.380
 I wonder

00:57:02.380 --> 00:57:03.099
 tonight, are

00:57:03.099 --> 00:57:03.779
 you pleading

00:57:03.779 --> 00:57:04.259
 for this

00:57:04.259 --> 00:57:04.659
 deliverance?

00:57:04.699 --> 00:57:04.980
 You know, we

00:57:04.980 --> 00:57:05.619
 can say we're

00:57:05.619 --> 00:57:06.019
 seekers.

00:57:09.019 --> 00:57:10.179
 We can say

00:57:10.179 --> 00:57:10.500
 that we're

00:57:10.500 --> 00:57:11.099
 seeking the

00:57:11.099 --> 00:57:11.480
 Lord, but

00:57:11.480 --> 00:57:11.739
 what does

00:57:11.739 --> 00:57:12.460
 that seeking

00:57:12.460 --> 00:57:13.339
 really look

00:57:13.339 --> 00:57:13.839
 like in

00:57:13.839 --> 00:57:14.440
 your life?

00:57:14.599 --> 00:57:15.779
 If a

00:57:15.779 --> 00:57:16.679
 microscope was

00:57:16.679 --> 00:57:17.579
 to come

00:57:17.579 --> 00:57:17.940
 in and

00:57:17.940 --> 00:57:18.639
 to examine

00:57:18.639 --> 00:57:20.279
 your seeking

00:57:20.279 --> 00:57:21.179
 and expose

00:57:21.179 --> 00:57:22.139
 it to all,

00:57:23.179 --> 00:57:23.659
 would it

00:57:23.659 --> 00:57:24.179
 show that

00:57:24.179 --> 00:57:25.519
 we are

00:57:25.519 --> 00:57:26.940
 desperately

00:57:26.940 --> 00:57:27.940
 pleading

00:57:27.940 --> 00:57:28.579
 with the

00:57:28.579 --> 00:57:29.719
 Lord to

00:57:29.719 --> 00:57:30.460
 save us?

00:57:30.539 --> 00:57:31.279
 As if our

00:57:31.279 --> 00:57:32.119
 lives depend

00:57:32.119 --> 00:57:32.920
 on it because

00:57:32.920 --> 00:57:33.960
 our lives do

00:57:33.960 --> 00:57:34.679
 depend on it.

00:57:34.739 --> 00:57:35.339
 Are we doing

00:57:35.339 --> 00:57:35.719
 that?

00:57:37.739 --> 00:57:38.339
 Or is our

00:57:38.339 --> 00:57:39.159
 seeking on

00:57:39.159 --> 00:57:39.559
 our own

00:57:39.559 --> 00:57:39.960
 terms?

00:57:40.880 --> 00:57:41.400
 We come

00:57:41.400 --> 00:57:41.960
 and we go,

00:57:42.059 --> 00:57:42.519
 we float

00:57:42.519 --> 00:57:43.079
 in and we

00:57:43.079 --> 00:57:43.739
 float out,

00:57:43.739 --> 00:57:44.579
 and we

00:57:44.579 --> 00:57:44.879
 put our

00:57:44.879 --> 00:57:45.099
 own

00:57:45.099 --> 00:57:45.819
 caveats

00:57:45.819 --> 00:57:46.359
 under

00:57:46.359 --> 00:57:46.879
 certain

00:57:46.879 --> 00:57:47.379
 things.

00:57:47.519 --> 00:57:48.119
 We give

00:57:48.119 --> 00:57:48.439
 our own

00:57:48.439 --> 00:57:49.119
 reasons as

00:57:49.119 --> 00:57:49.559
 to why

00:57:49.559 --> 00:57:50.119
 we're not

00:57:50.119 --> 00:57:51.399
 seeking the

00:57:51.399 --> 00:57:51.819
 Lord as

00:57:51.819 --> 00:57:52.079
 we should.

00:57:52.219 --> 00:57:52.819
 We call

00:57:52.819 --> 00:57:53.539
 the shots.

00:57:53.539 --> 00:57:53.599
 promise.

00:57:58.599 --> 00:57:59.259
 And so a

00:57:59.259 --> 00:57:59.920
 promise is

00:57:59.920 --> 00:58:01.519
 made to

00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:02.239
 her by

00:58:02.239 --> 00:58:03.779
 the spies.

00:58:06.079 --> 00:58:06.699
 And the

00:58:06.699 --> 00:58:07.300
 men said

00:58:07.300 --> 00:58:07.800
 to her,

00:58:08.559 --> 00:58:09.340
 our life

00:58:09.340 --> 00:58:10.179
 for yours

00:58:10.179 --> 00:58:11.099
 even to

00:58:11.099 --> 00:58:11.519
 death.

00:58:12.259 --> 00:58:12.659
 If you

00:58:12.659 --> 00:58:13.039
 do not

00:58:13.039 --> 00:58:13.779
 tell this

00:58:13.779 --> 00:58:14.440
 business of

00:58:14.440 --> 00:58:14.800
 ours,

00:58:14.900 --> 00:58:15.400
 then when

00:58:15.400 --> 00:58:15.920
 the Lord

00:58:15.920 --> 00:58:16.579
 gives us

00:58:16.579 --> 00:58:17.179
 the land,

00:58:17.539 --> 00:58:18.199
 we will

00:58:18.199 --> 00:58:18.639
 deal

00:58:18.639 --> 00:58:19.460
 kindly

00:58:19.460 --> 00:58:21.519
 faithfully

00:58:21.519 --> 00:58:23.300
 with you.

00:58:24.300 --> 00:58:24.639
 Isn't that

00:58:24.639 --> 00:58:25.159
 wonderful?

00:58:27.840 --> 00:58:28.260
 That where

00:58:28.260 --> 00:58:28.599
 there is

00:58:28.599 --> 00:58:29.179
 life,

00:58:29.920 --> 00:58:30.659
 there is

00:58:30.659 --> 00:58:31.179
 hope.

00:58:32.300 --> 00:58:33.119
 That's why I

00:58:33.119 --> 00:58:34.039
 impressed upon

00:58:34.039 --> 00:58:34.280
 you,

00:58:34.380 --> 00:58:34.679
 friends,

00:58:34.800 --> 00:58:35.220
 just a

00:58:35.220 --> 00:58:35.740
 minute ago,

00:58:35.860 --> 00:58:36.679
 the importance

00:58:36.679 --> 00:58:37.619
 of seeking

00:58:37.619 --> 00:58:38.300
 the Lord

00:58:38.300 --> 00:58:39.099
 with all

00:58:39.099 --> 00:58:39.760
 your heart.

00:58:41.199 --> 00:58:41.940
 This isn't

00:58:41.940 --> 00:58:42.559
 a time for

00:58:42.559 --> 00:58:43.300
 messing around

00:58:43.300 --> 00:58:43.720
 with the

00:58:43.720 --> 00:58:44.220
 matters of

00:58:44.220 --> 00:58:44.820
 your soul.

00:58:44.820 --> 00:58:47.300
 today is

00:58:47.300 --> 00:58:47.720
 the day of

00:58:47.720 --> 00:58:48.240
 salvation,

00:58:48.440 --> 00:58:49.019
 not tomorrow,

00:58:49.180 --> 00:58:49.620
 today,

00:58:50.200 --> 00:58:50.780
 tonight.

00:58:53.220 --> 00:58:53.760
 Promises

00:58:53.760 --> 00:58:54.460
 are made

00:58:54.460 --> 00:58:56.140
 where there

00:58:56.140 --> 00:58:56.820
 is life,

00:58:57.480 --> 00:58:57.900
 there is

00:58:57.900 --> 00:58:58.360
 hope.

00:58:59.400 --> 00:59:00.080
 And because

00:59:00.080 --> 00:59:00.740
 she has

00:59:00.740 --> 00:59:01.720
 honoured the

00:59:01.720 --> 00:59:02.300
 people of

00:59:02.300 --> 00:59:02.760
 God,

00:59:03.019 --> 00:59:03.460
 the God

00:59:03.460 --> 00:59:03.740
 of the

00:59:03.740 --> 00:59:04.680
 people is

00:59:04.680 --> 00:59:05.740
 going to

00:59:05.740 --> 00:59:06.559
 honour her,

00:59:06.820 --> 00:59:07.360
 showing us

00:59:07.360 --> 00:59:07.980
 that no

00:59:07.980 --> 00:59:08.940
 one is

00:59:08.940 --> 00:59:09.940
 beyond the

00:59:09.940 --> 00:59:10.760
 hand of

00:59:10.760 --> 00:59:11.300
 God's

00:59:11.300 --> 00:59:11.580
 mercy.

00:59:11.680 --> 00:59:12.039
 And isn't

00:59:12.039 --> 00:59:13.340
 that good

00:59:13.340 --> 00:59:13.960
 news for

00:59:13.960 --> 00:59:14.600
 us today?

00:59:14.820 --> 00:59:17.400
 not just

00:59:17.400 --> 00:59:17.740
 for the

00:59:17.740 --> 00:59:18.480
 prostitute,

00:59:18.980 --> 00:59:19.500
 because there's

00:59:19.500 --> 00:59:19.880
 always a

00:59:19.880 --> 00:59:20.580
 tendency to

00:59:20.580 --> 00:59:21.039
 think that

00:59:21.039 --> 00:59:21.539
 the worse

00:59:21.539 --> 00:59:22.300
 we are,

00:59:22.700 --> 00:59:23.160
 the more

00:59:23.160 --> 00:59:23.559
 we need

00:59:23.559 --> 00:59:24.059
 the Lord.

00:59:25.200 --> 00:59:25.360
 Well,

00:59:25.380 --> 00:59:26.000
 salvation is

00:59:26.000 --> 00:59:26.480
 only really

00:59:26.480 --> 00:59:26.840
 for the

00:59:26.840 --> 00:59:27.580
 drunkard or

00:59:27.580 --> 00:59:28.480
 the prostitute

00:59:28.480 --> 00:59:29.400
 or someone

00:59:29.400 --> 00:59:30.460
 whose life

00:59:30.460 --> 00:59:31.300
 is wayward,

00:59:31.480 --> 00:59:32.320
 someone who's

00:59:32.320 --> 00:59:32.920
 lost their

00:59:32.920 --> 00:59:33.240
 way.

00:59:33.380 --> 00:59:33.960
 That's why

00:59:33.960 --> 00:59:34.800
 people turn

00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:35.160
 to the

00:59:35.160 --> 00:59:35.880
 Lord just

00:59:35.880 --> 00:59:36.700
 as a

00:59:36.700 --> 00:59:37.120
 crutch.

00:59:38.220 --> 00:59:38.700
 That's not

00:59:38.700 --> 00:59:39.120
 true.

00:59:40.340 --> 00:59:40.900
 Salvation

00:59:40.900 --> 00:59:41.820
 is for the

00:59:41.820 --> 00:59:42.500
 prostitute,

00:59:42.680 --> 00:59:42.900
 yes,

00:59:43.000 --> 00:59:43.700
 but salvation

00:59:43.700 --> 00:59:44.640
 is also for

00:59:44.639 --> 00:59:45.279
 the person

00:59:45.279 --> 00:59:45.960
 in the

00:59:45.960 --> 00:59:46.319
 pew.

00:59:46.699 --> 00:59:47.219
 Salvation

00:59:47.219 --> 00:59:47.839
 is for

00:59:47.839 --> 00:59:48.179
 you.

00:59:49.879 --> 00:59:50.239
 Do you

00:59:50.239 --> 00:59:51.039
 believe that?

00:59:52.739 --> 00:59:53.440
 Believe it,

00:59:53.559 --> 00:59:53.799
 friend.

00:59:55.179 --> 00:59:55.839
 Believe it

00:59:55.839 --> 00:59:56.559
 because it's

00:59:56.559 --> 00:59:57.019
 true.

00:59:58.799 --> 00:59:59.099
 And then

00:59:59.099 --> 00:59:59.519
 time is

00:59:59.519 --> 00:59:59.799
 gone,

00:59:59.900 --> 01:00:00.239
 but we

01:00:00.239 --> 01:00:00.719
 read of

01:00:00.719 --> 01:00:01.299
 the detail

01:00:01.299 --> 01:00:01.960
 then of

01:00:01.960 --> 01:00:02.519
 Rahab

01:00:02.519 --> 01:00:03.359
 letting the

01:00:03.359 --> 01:00:04.139
 men down

01:00:04.139 --> 01:00:04.659
 by a

01:00:04.659 --> 01:00:05.219
 rope through

01:00:05.219 --> 01:00:05.839
 the window.

01:00:05.840 --> 01:00:07.820
 then she

01:00:07.820 --> 01:00:08.380
 let them

01:00:08.380 --> 01:00:08.900
 down by

01:00:08.900 --> 01:00:09.200
 a rope

01:00:09.200 --> 01:00:09.579
 through the

01:00:09.579 --> 01:00:09.860
 window,

01:00:09.960 --> 01:00:10.660
 verse 15,

01:00:10.780 --> 01:00:11.059
 for her

01:00:11.059 --> 01:00:11.500
 house was

01:00:11.500 --> 01:00:12.140
 built into

01:00:12.140 --> 01:00:12.600
 the city

01:00:12.600 --> 01:00:13.720
 wall so

01:00:13.720 --> 01:00:14.039
 that she

01:00:14.039 --> 01:00:14.660
 lived in

01:00:14.660 --> 01:00:15.100
 the wall.

01:00:15.940 --> 01:00:16.240
 And she

01:00:16.240 --> 01:00:16.680
 said to

01:00:16.680 --> 01:00:16.840
 them,

01:00:16.940 --> 01:00:17.400
 go into

01:00:17.400 --> 01:00:17.920
 the hills

01:00:17.920 --> 01:00:18.240
 or the

01:00:18.240 --> 01:00:18.820
 pursuers

01:00:18.820 --> 01:00:19.000
 will

01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:19.559
 encounter

01:00:19.559 --> 01:00:19.960
 you.

01:00:20.960 --> 01:00:21.360
 And

01:00:21.360 --> 01:00:22.180
 hide

01:00:22.180 --> 01:00:25.700
 there for

01:00:25.700 --> 01:00:26.820
 three days

01:00:26.820 --> 01:00:28.280
 until the

01:00:28.280 --> 01:00:29.140
 pursuers have

01:00:29.140 --> 01:00:29.620
 returned.

01:00:29.619 --> 01:00:30.579
 And

01:00:30.579 --> 01:00:31.359
 afterward

01:00:31.359 --> 01:00:32.380
 you may

01:00:32.380 --> 01:00:33.819
 go your

01:00:33.819 --> 01:00:34.839
 way.

01:00:35.539 --> 01:00:36.219
 But before

01:00:36.219 --> 01:00:36.859
 the men

01:00:36.859 --> 01:00:37.279
 go,

01:00:37.500 --> 01:00:38.039
 they ask

01:00:38.039 --> 01:00:38.639
 Rahab

01:00:38.639 --> 01:00:39.699
 to do

01:00:39.699 --> 01:00:41.380
 one last

01:00:41.380 --> 01:00:41.679
 thing.

01:00:41.719 --> 01:00:41.980
 And this

01:00:41.980 --> 01:00:42.519
 fits so

01:00:42.519 --> 01:00:43.139
 nicely into

01:00:43.139 --> 01:00:43.539
 what we've

01:00:43.539 --> 01:00:44.059
 been thinking

01:00:44.059 --> 01:00:44.719
 about over

01:00:44.719 --> 01:00:45.400
 these days.

01:00:45.819 --> 01:00:46.319
 They ask

01:00:46.319 --> 01:00:46.839
 Rahab to

01:00:46.839 --> 01:00:47.460
 do one

01:00:47.460 --> 01:00:48.559
 last thing

01:00:48.559 --> 01:00:49.799
 to secure

01:00:49.799 --> 01:00:50.859
 her safety

01:00:50.859 --> 01:00:51.199
 and the

01:00:51.199 --> 01:00:51.799
 safety of

01:00:51.799 --> 01:00:52.500
 her family.

01:00:53.460 --> 01:00:53.799
 What do

01:00:53.799 --> 01:00:54.199
 they ask

01:00:54.199 --> 01:00:54.500
 her to

01:00:54.500 --> 01:00:54.799
 do?

01:00:56.119 --> 01:00:56.839
 The Bible,

01:00:57.059 --> 01:00:57.699
 it's just so

01:00:57.699 --> 01:00:58.380
 wonderful the

01:00:58.380 --> 01:00:59.199
 way it ties

01:00:59.199 --> 01:00:59.679
 everything

01:00:59.679 --> 01:01:00.579
 together so

01:01:00.579 --> 01:01:02.000
 clearly and

01:01:02.000 --> 01:01:02.719
 concisely.

01:01:03.059 --> 01:01:03.939
 They ask

01:01:03.939 --> 01:01:04.299
 her to

01:01:04.299 --> 01:01:05.379
 tie a

01:01:05.379 --> 01:01:06.099
 scarlet

01:01:06.099 --> 01:01:07.000
 cord to

01:01:07.000 --> 01:01:07.579
 the window

01:01:07.579 --> 01:01:08.159
 of her

01:01:08.159 --> 01:01:08.939
 house so

01:01:08.939 --> 01:01:09.359
 that when

01:01:09.359 --> 01:01:09.759
 they would

01:01:09.759 --> 01:01:10.259
 return,

01:01:10.559 --> 01:01:10.859
 when they

01:01:10.859 --> 01:01:11.379
 would come

01:01:11.379 --> 01:01:12.059
 and conquer

01:01:12.059 --> 01:01:12.739
 the land,

01:01:13.119 --> 01:01:13.480
 they would

01:01:13.480 --> 01:01:13.779
 know that

01:01:13.779 --> 01:01:14.519
 out of all

01:01:14.519 --> 01:01:15.779
 the godlessness

01:01:15.779 --> 01:01:16.339
 that was

01:01:16.339 --> 01:01:17.480
 abounding in

01:01:17.480 --> 01:01:18.219
 this place,

01:01:19.099 --> 01:01:19.399
 that in

01:01:19.399 --> 01:01:19.980
 this one

01:01:19.980 --> 01:01:20.480
 house,

01:01:20.799 --> 01:01:21.419
 this one

01:01:21.419 --> 01:01:21.939
 house where

01:01:21.939 --> 01:01:22.559
 this one

01:01:22.559 --> 01:01:23.439
 scarlet

01:01:23.439 --> 01:01:24.719
 cord was

01:01:24.719 --> 01:01:25.500
 hanging in

01:01:25.500 --> 01:01:26.059
 the window,

01:01:26.460 --> 01:01:27.079
 this was a

01:01:27.079 --> 01:01:27.939
 house where

01:01:27.939 --> 01:01:28.639
 the people

01:01:28.639 --> 01:01:30.119
 identified with

01:01:30.119 --> 01:01:30.739
 the god

01:01:30.739 --> 01:01:31.960
 of Israel.

01:01:35.319 --> 01:01:36.099
 What does

01:01:36.099 --> 01:01:36.739
 this remind

01:01:36.739 --> 01:01:37.279
 us of?

01:01:39.159 --> 01:01:39.940
 Well, it

01:01:39.940 --> 01:01:40.519
 reminds us,

01:01:40.599 --> 01:01:41.119
 does it not,

01:01:41.179 --> 01:01:41.799
 of what's

01:01:41.799 --> 01:01:42.179
 happened

01:01:42.179 --> 01:01:43.119
 previously when

01:01:43.119 --> 01:01:44.159
 the lord

01:01:44.159 --> 01:01:45.619
 passed over

01:01:45.619 --> 01:01:46.500
 the houses

01:01:46.500 --> 01:01:47.679
 whose lintels

01:01:47.679 --> 01:01:48.819
 had blood

01:01:48.819 --> 01:01:49.679
 on them.

01:01:49.719 --> 01:01:50.059
 Is it not

01:01:50.059 --> 01:01:50.559
 the same

01:01:50.559 --> 01:01:51.079
 idea?

01:01:51.799 --> 01:01:52.159
 Here we

01:01:52.159 --> 01:01:52.619
 don't have

01:01:52.619 --> 01:01:53.480
 blood, but

01:01:53.480 --> 01:01:54.259
 we have that

01:01:54.259 --> 01:01:54.799
 which is the

01:01:54.799 --> 01:01:55.420
 color of

01:01:55.420 --> 01:01:56.219
 blood, a

01:01:56.219 --> 01:01:57.099
 scarlet

01:01:57.099 --> 01:01:58.440
 cord as a

01:01:58.440 --> 01:01:59.139
 means of

01:01:59.139 --> 01:02:00.380
 identifying the

01:02:00.380 --> 01:02:01.940
 saved people

01:02:01.940 --> 01:02:03.119
 of God.

01:02:05.679 --> 01:02:06.519
 Tonight, if

01:02:06.519 --> 01:02:07.059
 the lord were

01:02:07.059 --> 01:02:07.599
 to come to

01:02:07.599 --> 01:02:08.139
 your house,

01:02:08.220 --> 01:02:08.559
 what would

01:02:08.559 --> 01:02:09.320
 he find in

01:02:09.320 --> 01:02:09.860
 the window?

01:02:11.480 --> 01:02:12.400
 A scarlet

01:02:12.400 --> 01:02:12.980
 cord?

01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:15.559
 Would he be

01:02:15.559 --> 01:02:16.300
 able to see,

01:02:16.480 --> 01:02:18.039
 yes, this is a

01:02:18.039 --> 01:02:19.159
 household where

01:02:19.159 --> 01:02:20.019
 those who live

01:02:20.019 --> 01:02:20.720
 therein are

01:02:20.720 --> 01:02:22.320
 covered by

01:02:22.320 --> 01:02:23.280
 the blood.

01:02:23.400 --> 01:02:24.320
 They are safe,

01:02:24.720 --> 01:02:25.079
 they are

01:02:25.079 --> 01:02:25.579
 secure.

01:02:25.579 --> 01:02:27.059
 is that

01:02:27.059 --> 01:02:28.199
 what he

01:02:28.199 --> 01:02:28.900
 would find?

01:02:29.139 --> 01:02:29.759
 Do you

01:02:29.759 --> 01:02:30.759
 have blood

01:02:30.759 --> 01:02:32.579
 on your

01:02:32.579 --> 01:02:33.739
 lintels?

01:02:33.880 --> 01:02:34.400
 Do you

01:02:34.400 --> 01:02:34.960
 have the

01:02:34.960 --> 01:02:35.960
 precious blood

01:02:35.960 --> 01:02:36.840
 of Christ

01:02:36.840 --> 01:02:38.079
 covering

01:02:38.079 --> 01:02:39.259
 your

01:02:39.259 --> 01:02:40.500
 soul?

01:02:44.500 --> 01:02:45.360
 So why

01:02:45.360 --> 01:02:45.679
 are we

01:02:45.679 --> 01:02:46.079
 here?

01:02:47.739 --> 01:02:48.519
 Because we

01:02:48.519 --> 01:02:49.699
 are in

01:02:49.699 --> 01:02:50.360
 Christ.

01:02:51.880 --> 01:02:52.519
 How has

01:02:52.519 --> 01:02:52.840
 this been

01:02:52.840 --> 01:02:53.659
 made possible

01:02:53.659 --> 01:02:55.340
 through the

01:02:55.340 --> 01:02:56.380
 precious blood

01:02:56.380 --> 01:02:57.300
 of Christ?

01:02:57.400 --> 01:02:57.780
 What have we

01:02:57.780 --> 01:02:58.639
 received as a

01:02:58.639 --> 01:02:59.099
 result?

01:02:59.780 --> 01:03:00.480
 A new

01:03:00.480 --> 01:03:01.599
 and living

01:03:01.599 --> 01:03:02.579
 way, direct

01:03:02.579 --> 01:03:03.960
 access to

01:03:03.960 --> 01:03:05.380
 God through

01:03:05.380 --> 01:03:05.880
 Christ.

01:03:06.039 --> 01:03:07.119
 Who is all

01:03:07.119 --> 01:03:07.719
 of this

01:03:07.719 --> 01:03:09.079
 actually and

01:03:09.079 --> 01:03:10.440
 really and

01:03:10.440 --> 01:03:11.500
 truly for?

01:03:12.780 --> 01:03:13.400
 Well, the

01:03:13.400 --> 01:03:14.019
 good news is

01:03:14.019 --> 01:03:15.340
 this, it's

01:03:15.340 --> 01:03:15.860
 for you.

01:03:16.739 --> 01:03:17.780
 It's for you.

01:03:18.480 --> 01:03:19.400
 If you're not a

01:03:19.400 --> 01:03:20.119
 Christian here

01:03:20.119 --> 01:03:21.200
 tonight, this

01:03:21.200 --> 01:03:23.139
 is for you.

01:03:23.260 --> 01:03:24.059
 This message

01:03:24.059 --> 01:03:25.280
 is your

01:03:25.280 --> 01:03:25.880
 message.

01:03:27.240 --> 01:03:27.519
 But the

01:03:27.519 --> 01:03:28.019
 question I

01:03:28.019 --> 01:03:28.599
 want to leave

01:03:28.599 --> 01:03:28.940
 with you

01:03:28.940 --> 01:03:29.680
 tonight, and

01:03:29.680 --> 01:03:30.059
 I want you

01:03:30.059 --> 01:03:30.740
 to go away

01:03:30.740 --> 01:03:31.480
 with this and

01:03:31.480 --> 01:03:33.260
 seriously think

01:03:33.260 --> 01:03:34.039
 about it.

01:03:34.599 --> 01:03:35.200
 With an open

01:03:35.200 --> 01:03:36.539
 heart and an

01:03:36.539 --> 01:03:37.280
 open mind,

01:03:37.480 --> 01:03:38.000
 think about

01:03:38.000 --> 01:03:38.380
 this.

01:03:39.059 --> 01:03:39.780
 This is for

01:03:39.780 --> 01:03:41.680
 you, but

01:03:41.680 --> 01:03:42.480
 do you

01:03:42.480 --> 01:03:44.180
 want it?

01:03:45.119 --> 01:03:45.680
 Let's

01:03:45.680 --> 01:03:45.940
 pray.

01:03:45.940 --> 01:03:46.039
 Amen.

01:03:49.400 --> 01:03:50.619
 Lord, our

01:03:50.619 --> 01:03:51.240
 God, we

01:03:51.240 --> 01:03:53.019
 give thanks

01:03:53.019 --> 01:03:53.380
 for the

01:03:53.380 --> 01:03:55.900
 gospel, that

01:03:55.900 --> 01:03:56.300
 way of

01:03:56.300 --> 01:03:57.280
 escape for

01:03:57.280 --> 01:03:58.119
 sinners just

01:03:58.119 --> 01:03:58.920
 like us.

01:04:00.519 --> 01:04:01.500
 And Lord, we

01:04:01.500 --> 01:04:02.539
 long in our

01:04:02.539 --> 01:04:03.380
 hearts that

01:04:03.380 --> 01:04:04.920
 many more

01:04:04.920 --> 01:04:05.400
 would know

01:04:05.400 --> 01:04:06.139
 that way of

01:04:06.139 --> 01:04:07.099
 escape, even

01:04:07.099 --> 01:04:08.820
 here tonight,

01:04:09.820 --> 01:04:10.539
 that you

01:04:10.539 --> 01:04:11.119
 would make

01:04:11.119 --> 01:04:11.860
 them aware

01:04:11.860 --> 01:04:12.940
 of their

01:04:12.940 --> 01:04:14.200
 need of

01:04:14.200 --> 01:04:16.119
 you, so

01:04:16.119 --> 01:04:16.500
 that even

01:04:16.500 --> 01:04:16.800
 if they

01:04:16.800 --> 01:04:17.380
 don't have

01:04:17.380 --> 01:04:18.380
 that desire

01:04:18.380 --> 01:04:18.960
 and longing

01:04:18.960 --> 01:04:19.519
 to know

01:04:19.519 --> 01:04:20.240
 you more

01:04:20.240 --> 01:04:21.280
 and more,

01:04:22.119 --> 01:04:22.920
 that tonight

01:04:22.920 --> 01:04:23.500
 would be the

01:04:23.500 --> 01:04:23.980
 night that

01:04:23.980 --> 01:04:24.579
 your Holy

01:04:24.579 --> 01:04:25.440
 Spirit would

01:04:25.440 --> 01:04:27.079
 impress upon

01:04:27.079 --> 01:04:28.039
 their hearts,

01:04:28.700 --> 01:04:29.640
 showing them

01:04:29.640 --> 01:04:30.400
 their need

01:04:30.400 --> 01:04:31.380
 of salvation,

01:04:31.380 --> 01:04:32.220
 for what

01:04:32.220 --> 01:04:33.380
 indeed should

01:04:33.380 --> 01:04:34.260
 it profit a

01:04:34.260 --> 01:04:35.640
 man if he

01:04:35.640 --> 01:04:36.300
 were to gain

01:04:36.300 --> 01:04:36.980
 the whole

01:04:36.980 --> 01:04:38.440
 world and

01:04:38.440 --> 01:04:39.200
 lose his

01:04:39.200 --> 01:04:40.480
 soul, or

01:04:40.480 --> 01:04:41.300
 what shall

01:04:41.300 --> 01:04:42.280
 a man give

01:04:42.280 --> 01:04:44.200
 in exchange

01:04:44.200 --> 01:04:45.720
 for his

01:04:45.720 --> 01:04:46.160
 soul?

01:04:46.159 --> 01:04:47.199
 let us

01:04:47.199 --> 01:04:47.920
 all, one

01:04:47.920 --> 01:04:48.420
 and all,

01:04:49.019 --> 01:04:49.839
 seek more

01:04:49.839 --> 01:04:50.480
 than anything

01:04:50.480 --> 01:04:51.659
 to come

01:04:51.659 --> 01:04:52.679
 and put our

01:04:52.679 --> 01:04:53.500
 trust in

01:04:53.500 --> 01:04:54.679
 you, for

01:04:54.679 --> 01:04:55.359
 time is

01:04:55.359 --> 01:04:56.679
 short and

01:04:56.679 --> 01:04:57.559
 eternity is

01:04:57.559 --> 01:04:57.960
 long.

01:04:58.440 --> 01:04:59.019
 Part us then

01:04:59.019 --> 01:04:59.379
 with your

01:04:59.379 --> 01:05:00.460
 blessing, and

01:05:00.460 --> 01:05:01.259
 forgive us in

01:05:01.259 --> 01:05:02.000
 Jesus' name.

01:05:02.239 --> 01:05:02.559
 Amen.

01:05:02.559 --> 01:05:02.679
 Amen.

01:05:02.679 --> 01:05:10.059
 Well friends,

01:05:10.159 --> 01:05:11.579
 it's been

01:05:11.579 --> 01:05:11.960
 such a

01:05:11.960 --> 01:05:12.659
 privilege being

01:05:12.659 --> 01:05:13.359
 with you over

01:05:13.359 --> 01:05:14.559
 these days,

01:05:14.980 --> 01:05:16.199
 I think we've

01:05:16.199 --> 01:05:17.219
 enjoyed a sense

01:05:17.219 --> 01:05:18.099
 of God's

01:05:18.099 --> 01:05:18.659
 Spirit, and

01:05:18.659 --> 01:05:19.500
 what God's

01:05:19.500 --> 01:05:20.239
 Spirit does

01:05:20.239 --> 01:05:21.559
 is he

01:05:21.559 --> 01:05:22.219
 unites

01:05:22.219 --> 01:05:23.339
 his people,

01:05:24.399 --> 01:05:24.859
 that's what we

01:05:24.859 --> 01:05:25.500
 long for,

01:05:25.579 --> 01:05:26.919
 that many more

01:05:26.919 --> 01:05:27.839
 here tonight

01:05:27.839 --> 01:05:28.839
 would be

01:05:28.839 --> 01:05:30.739
 united by

01:05:30.739 --> 01:05:31.319
 the Spirit

01:05:31.319 --> 01:05:31.779
 of the

01:05:31.779 --> 01:05:32.139
 Lord.

01:05:33.099 --> 01:05:33.419
 So we're

01:05:33.419 --> 01:05:33.859
 going to

01:05:33.859 --> 01:05:35.039
 close by

01:05:35.039 --> 01:05:36.099
 singing that

01:05:36.099 --> 01:05:36.879
 psalm that

01:05:36.879 --> 01:05:38.159
 speaks of

01:05:38.159 --> 01:05:39.039
 that glorious

01:05:39.039 --> 01:05:40.759
 unity that

01:05:40.759 --> 01:05:41.679
 God's people

01:05:41.679 --> 01:05:43.399
 enjoy one

01:05:43.399 --> 01:05:43.979
 with another,

01:05:44.079 --> 01:05:44.679
 and how it

01:05:44.679 --> 01:05:45.839
 delights him.

01:05:45.939 --> 01:05:46.899
 Page 424,

01:05:47.179 --> 01:05:48.399
 Psalm 133,

01:05:48.859 --> 01:05:49.979
 behold how

01:05:49.979 --> 01:05:50.639
 good a thing

01:05:50.639 --> 01:05:51.299
 it is, and

01:05:51.299 --> 01:05:52.079
 how becoming

01:05:52.079 --> 01:05:53.719
 well, together

01:05:53.719 --> 01:05:54.419
 such as

01:05:54.419 --> 01:05:55.239
 brethren are,

01:05:55.779 --> 01:05:56.539
 in unity

01:05:56.539 --> 01:05:57.799
 to dwell.

01:05:57.859 --> 01:05:58.359
 Let's stand

01:05:58.359 --> 01:05:58.979
 to sing the

01:05:58.979 --> 01:05:59.819
 whole psalm

01:05:59.820 --> 01:06:01.120
 to the praise

01:06:01.120 --> 01:06:02.200
 of our

01:06:02.200 --> 01:06:02.640
 God.

01:06:02.640 --> 01:06:02.700
 Amen.

01:06:05.700 --> 01:06:08.760
 Behold how

01:06:08.760 --> 01:06:12.940
 good a thing

01:06:12.940 --> 01:06:15.180
 it is,

01:06:15.620 --> 01:06:17.960
 and how

01:06:17.960 --> 01:06:20.420
 we come

01:06:20.420 --> 01:06:22.800
 in hell,

01:06:23.559 --> 01:06:26.080
 together

01:06:26.079 --> 01:06:29.400
 such as

01:06:29.400 --> 01:06:33.039
 brethren are,

01:06:33.039 --> 01:06:36.039
 in unity

01:06:36.039 --> 01:06:39.039
 to dwell.

01:06:39.039 --> 01:06:40.039
 Like

01:06:40.039 --> 01:06:44.039
 precious

01:06:44.039 --> 01:06:46.039
 point

01:06:46.039 --> 01:06:48.039
 bent on

01:06:48.039 --> 01:06:51.039
 the head,

01:06:51.039 --> 01:06:53.099
 that

01:06:53.099 --> 01:06:55.500
 down the

01:06:55.500 --> 01:06:57.000
 bearded

01:06:57.000 --> 01:06:59.000
 low,

01:06:59.000 --> 01:07:01.000
 in

01:07:01.000 --> 01:07:02.000
 near

01:07:02.000 --> 01:07:03.519
 a

01:07:03.519 --> 01:07:04.000
 spear,

01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:06.000
 and

01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:07.000
 to

01:07:07.000 --> 01:07:08.420
 the

01:07:08.420 --> 01:07:09.779
 skirt

01:07:09.779 --> 01:07:11.239
 did

01:07:11.239 --> 01:07:12.000
 all

01:07:12.000 --> 01:07:13.619
 his

01:07:13.619 --> 01:07:15.000
 starm

01:07:15.000 --> 01:07:16.079
 and

01:07:16.079 --> 01:07:16.840
 go.

01:07:16.840 --> 01:07:17.720
 home.

01:07:19.320 --> 01:07:33.900
 S

01:07:33.900 --> 01:07:34.240
 on

01:07:34.240 --> 01:07:34.780
岁

01:07:34.780 --> 01:07:36.280
 on

01:07:36.280 --> 01:07:37.700
 dawn

01:07:37.700 --> 01:07:38.559
 ire

01:07:38.559 --> 01:07:39.539
 national

01:07:39.539 --> 01:07:39.900
 Bar

01:07:39.900 --> 01:07:40.680
 siempre

01:07:40.680 --> 01:07:41.140
 greater

01:07:41.220 --> 01:07:42.720
 ire

01:07:42.720 --> 01:07:42.900
 la

01:07:42.900 --> 01:07:43.120
 beaut

01:07:43.119 --> 01:07:54.619
 God, come and life that shall ever end.

01:07:55.839 --> 01:08:01.639
 If after the benediction, you'll give me just a moment to get to the main door and meet you on the way out.

01:08:01.699 --> 01:08:06.119
 We'll give thanks for the provisions we're about to enjoy and then close with the benediction.

01:08:06.119 --> 01:08:14.960
 Lord, we give thanks for every good and perfect gift that is ours in Christ, for every token of your goodness by way of temporal blessings.

01:08:15.219 --> 01:08:20.979
 We pray that you would bless or fellowship one with another, be with Marcia as she shares with us.

01:08:21.460 --> 01:08:28.920
 Bless the food we're about to enjoy and that in our hearts we would acknowledge you as the giver of these things.

01:08:28.920 --> 01:08:39.579
 And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit rest on and abide with you now and forevermore.

01:08:40.119 --> 01:08:40.520
 Amen.

01:08:58.920 --> 01:08:59.920
 Amen.