We're going to begin our worship today singing in Psalm 107, Psalm 107, and we're singing
from the Sing Psalms Version, page 143, verses 1 to 9.
O thank the Lord, for He is good, His love endures always. Let those whom God redeemed
say this, those rescued by His grace. He saved them from their enemies and brought
them from the lands, from east and west, from north and south, safe from oppressing hands.
We're singing verses 1 to 9, Psalm 107, page 143, and we're standing to sing.
O thank the Lord, for He is good, His love endures always. Let those whom God
God redeemed say this, those rescued by His grace. He saved them from their enemies and brought
them from the land, from east and west, from north and south, safe from oppressing hands.
Come on dirt in the desert ways, not finding any way, to reach a city where they might obtain
enough place to stay. Where life and strength were having passed, in partial
and emptiness. Then in despair they sought the Lord, who saved them from distress.
straight was the path He led them on, a city to attain. So for the Lord's unfailing love, let them give thanks again.
the Lord's unfailing love, let them give thanks again.
And for the awesome deeds of power, which He for them achieves, for hungry souls He fills with good, the
thirsty He relieves.
Well, let's pray together now. We're praying a short prayer just now, mainly for the children, and we'll have the main prayer afterwards.
Let's call upon the Lord in prayer.
Lord, our gracious God, we give thanks today that we gather here in Your name, that we do so willingly and freely, and that we take delight in doing so.
We thank You today, O Lord, that we are gathered together. We know from Your Word how important it is for Your people to be gathered together to worship You.
And we give thanks for this occasion, and we give thanks for this day. We pray that You would help us to maintain the Lord's day, as a day that is separate and kept for worship, and for thinking upon Yourself and upon Your salvation, and upon Your creation as we see it around us.
Lord, we thank You, O Lord, we thank You, O Lord, as they come to learn more of Your gospel, of the truth of Your Word, that it may be truly blessed to them, and that they may grow up to know more and more of You through this Word that You have given us.
Help them, Lord, we pray, as they interact with the message of the gospel today.
Protect them in the world, we pray.
Give them to be shielded from the many harmful things that exist in our world.
And give them, Lord, we pray, to pray for themselves, for Your own guidance and protection in life.
And now go before us, we pray, and help us as we engage in worship, that we may do so depending upon Your Holy Spirit to guide us into Your truth.
Receive our thanks and forgive our sins, for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Okay, children.
In the main sermon today, we're going to be thinking of a city, because God's Word describes the church as God's city.
The people of God are citizens of that city.
But I want to tell you about another city mentioned in the Bible, and that's in Genesis chapter 11.
Because in Genesis chapter 11, we read about an attempt to build a city or to build a tower,
and the top of it was going to reach right up into the heavens.
It came to be known as the Tower of Babel.
Babel means confusion or scattering.
Let me just read these words in Genesis 11.
Here were the people of that time a long, long time ago.
And when they came to a certain place, they said,
Come, let us make bricks, and we'll burn them thoroughly.
So they had bricks.
And then they said,
Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens.
And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed and scattered over the face of the whole earth.
They were afraid of being scattered, separated from each other over the whole earth.
And so they tried to make a place where they would be safe and where that wouldn't happen.
And it's a passage that tells us about an attempt to produce safety without God.
In fact, it tells us something important there, that the Lord came down to see the city that they were attempting to build,
and the very thing that they were afraid of and they were trying to prevent, the Lord actually caused.
He gave them all sorts of different languages.
They couldn't understand each other, so they were scattered abroad on the face of the earth.
Now, that tells us something very important today.
We need safety.
We need security.
We need salvation.
But we can't have that without God.
If we try and build salvation for ourselves, that's going to end in failure and disaster.
Because here they were trying to build this city with the top of it reaching up to heaven
in order to try and make for themselves a place of safety.
Now, the Bible tells us that our place of safety, of salvation, is in Jesus.
Jesus is the one.
When we come to believe in Him, to trust in Him, to give our lives to Him,
then we are within safety.
We have salvation.
No one can take that away from us.
And then whatever happens, we know that that's going to be always true of us,
that we will be safe in Jesus.
So today, for the adults and for myself and for yourselves,
we are here to build up our lives not by forgetting God, but by actually trusting in God.
Because when we try and build up without God, inevitably we're going to fail and it'll bring disaster.
And we will fail in a way that will actually not have salvation,
but have what the Bible calls the opposite of that.
We will be lost.
We will not be saved.
And so today, you have this huge advantage or privilege to know about Jesus, to learn about Jesus,
but it's so that you can come to have God in your life and not leave God behind and build up your lives with God at the center and foundation of your life.
So we're going to say the Lord's Prayer then.
And then we'll actually have another singing after that when you go through to your classes.
So let's say the Lord's Prayer together.
Our Father, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
We're going to sing again.
This time we're singing from Psalm 106.
This is in the Scottish Psalter, Psalm 106.
Psalm 106.
Again, we're standing to sing.
Amen.
God's mighty works who can express the show for all this great.
Blessed are they that judgment keep, and justly do always.
Remember me, Lord, with that love which I to thine does pay.
With thy salvation, O my God, to visit me draw near.
That I thy chosen's good mercy, and in their joy rejoice.
And live with thy new merit as triumph with cheerful voice.
I'm going to read now from God's word in the book of Psalms.
Two Psalms, firstly Psalm 48, and then Psalm 87.
First of all, Psalm 48.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth.
Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great king, with her citadels.
God has made himself known as a fortress.
For behold, the kings assembled and came on together.
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded.
They were in panic.
They took to flight.
Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
By the east wind, you shattered the ships of Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seen.
In the city of the Lord of hosts.
In the city of our God, which God will establish forever.
We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Let Mount Zion be glad.
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
Walk about Zion.
Go round her.
Number her towers.
Consider well her ramparts.
Go through her citadels.
That you may tell the next generation that this is God.
Our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.
And if we turn to Psalm 87, we'll read through that short psalm as well.
Psalm 87.
On the holy mount stands the city he founded.
The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.
Among those who know me, I will mention Rahab and Babylon.
Amen.
Behold Philistia and Tyre with Cush.
This one was born there, they say.
And of Zion it shall be said, this one and that one were born in her.
For the Most High himself will establish her.
The Lord records as he registers the people, this one was born there.
Amen.
And may God bless to us these readings of his word.
Let's again join together in prayer.
We give thanks, O Lord our God, as we call upon your name again.
We give thanks that we belong to your church in this world.
We give thanks for the teaching of your word in regard to belonging to your own believing people.
We give thanks today for the many privileges that are ours and for the many promises that your word sets out for those who trust in you.
We thank you today for the opportunity again to worship you together.
And we thank you for the way in which we are able to do so, using the resources that you have given us in your word.
And to call upon you in prayer and to sing your praises.
And to have your word expounded.
Lord, it is our great privilege to be gathered together here today again.
Help us, we pray, to avail ourselves of this opportunity to make maximum use of it.
We thank you, Lord, for the way that you continue to bless us from week to week.
And for your patience with us and your long-suffering toward us.
For the way that you repeatedly bring us before your word.
And bring your word to our minds and laid upon our hearts.
Lord, we come today confessing that we are unworthy of the least of your mercies.
We come confessing our own sins.
Confessing our many failures and shortcomings.
The many ways in which we know we sin against you.
In our very thoughts we sin against you.
We sin against you in the words that we speak from time to time.
In a way that is ill-advised and not in accord with righteousness and truth.
We sin against you in our behavior, in our relationships.
We, Lord, don't have the ability to number the many sins that we commit against you.
As each day and each week and each year goes by.
But we give thanks today that your mercy far exceeds our sins in their greatness or in their number.
We thank you today that your word teaches us that your justice and your mercy reach the clouds.
That they are greater than anything that we ourselves may engage in.
We thank you today for your mercy.
We thank you for your forgiveness of our sins.
For your cleansing by your Holy Spirit.
By your truth of our hearts and lives.
From sin and from the effects of sin.
Help us, we pray, always to come before you conscious that you are the one who calls us into your presence.
That with you there is forgiveness.
So that you may be feared.
That we may revere you.
That we may honor you.
And that we may pay homage to you at all times.
Bless us, we pray today, as a people, as a congregation.
Oh, Lord, we ask that you would give us today your blessing through your Spirit.
To be with us as we gather.
And with those who are unable to gather with us physically.
Bless them where they are.
We ask that you would bless the means that you have given us, Lord.
Of people in their homes.
Being able to share in the services.
And we thank you for those who simply cannot be with us through illness of different kinds.
And, Lord, we ask your blessing for them today.
And as your gospel reaches them, we pray that it may truly be precious once again to them.
We pray for those who are ill at this time.
Remember them, we pray, O Lord, in hospital.
Those at home or those in care homes.
We commit them to you and ask that the care they receive may be blessed to them.
And that we may all be grateful and thankful to you.
For your continuing goodness, Lord, in providing us with so many resources.
We pray today also for those of our number, O Lord, who are not here and not watching online.
We pray for those damaged by the COVID pandemic particularly.
Those who have slipped away from following you, from confessing you,
from being meaningfully part of your gathered church.
Lord, we pray for them today.
We ask that you would recover them.
We pray that your grace, Lord, will be with them.
So as to shield them, to protect them, but to bring them back into your ways, O Lord.
We pray for those who have difficulties of their own health as well today.
Remember those who have issues of mental health.
We commit them to you, Lord, and ask that you'd bless them.
We pray that your word may be precious to them.
And we ask that they may draw their strength from yourself.
We give thanks that you know us so intimately, so perfectly in the workings of our mind and hearts,
in our emotions, in our concerns, in everything to do with us.
O Lord, we give thanks that your knowledge of us is perfect.
And we give thanks that you are able to meet every detail of our need throughout all the circumstances of life.
Remember those today who mourn the passing of loved ones.
Lord, in our communities, we are so conscious that there are families from day to day and week to week
who miss loved ones and who have bereavement to contend with.
We ask that that will be so for those today, Lord, who have these circumstances in their experience.
Bless, we pray, those who tend to our needs at such times.
We give thanks for the undertaker's staff, and we thank you for their own contribution, O Lord, to our well-being.
As we need their services from time to time, we thank you for them and for the provision you have made for us in that.
We thank you, Lord, today that we can call upon you on behalf of many who don't pray for themselves.
And we pray for our world.
We pray for our nation.
We pray for our governments.
We pray for those in authority of different kinds over us,
those who have the task of maintaining law and order.
We pray for our police force.
We pray for our ambulance service.
We pray for all those resources that are this time so stretched and so short-staffed.
And we ask, O Lord, that all the emergency services will know your blessing
and will know your provision to continue to follow them.
And we ask that you'd bless now our gathering here today.
We pray that you'd bless those, O Lord, who were mentioned in our intimations today.
We pray for Dooney.
We give thanks for his time as treasurer.
We pray that you'd uphold him at this time and that he may know your grace, O Lord, for his recovery.
We thank you for that measure of recovery that he already knows.
We pray, too, Lord, for Gordon as he takes over.
We thank you for his willingness to do so.
And we pray for him, not only in that role, but also as a counselor.
And all others who serve in the core of the two.
We pray today for them, Lord, and ask that you'd bless them.
We ask, too, for Ian as he takes on gift aid, treasurer duties.
We pray that you'd bless him, Lord, in that task.
And help him and all of them together as they look after these aspects of the congregation's well-being.
We thank you, Lord, for the generosity of your people.
We pray at this time for those who are facing hard times financially.
Bless those, Lord, facing loss of work.
We pray for those who find the cost of living increased to be such a challenge in their homes and families.
We ask that you'd bless them.
And those who are unemployed and looking for work, we remember them in your presence.
We pray that you'd continue, Lord, to provide for them and to encourage them and to be their portion.
And so, go before us now, we pray.
Look upon us in your mercy and guide us into your truth.
And all for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Well, we're going to have one more singing before we come to look at Psalm 87.
This singing is from Psalm 132, and as you find it on page 423.
We're singing verses 13 to 18.
For God of Zion hath made choice, there he desires to dwell.
This is my rest, here still I'll stay, for I do like it well.
That food I'll greatly bless, her poor with bread will satisfy.
Her priests I'll clothe with health, her saints shall shout forth joyfully.
Verses 13 to the end of Psalm 132 to God's praise.
For God of Zion hath made choice, there he desires to dwell.
This is my rest, here still I'll stay, for I do like it well.
How good and great, he bless her poor, with bread will satisfy.
And there will I make day this home.
who'll be nice, there he does, or тысяч would perish.
For God for blessing me, for him that mine amointed is,
A love poured in the light
As with our garment diamond rose
With shameless Henry's own
But yet the crown that he can wear
Upon him flourish shall
Now will you turn with me please back to the book of Psalms and Psalm 87
And looking at this short psalm as we read through it a short time ago
We're just continuing with our short series of studies on Scripture portraits of the church
We've already seen three from one version, 1 Timothy 3.15
And we've seen some of the imagery there, some of the illustrations, if you like, that the Bible uses
To describe God's church
We looked at the church described there as a household
And also as the pillar and buttress of the truth
Looking at the different aspects in which these are important elements of the church's life
And the Bible's illustrations, of course, are always the best for us
I know we try and hopefully get illustrations that we can use in the sermons that we preach
So that hopefully that will help to blend in with the words of Scripture and the message itself
But the Bible's own illustrations are so brilliant
And by far better than any other illustrations you can get to illustrate the truth of God for us
And here we also have an illustration of the church or a portrait of the church
And it's actually a portrait that combines two things
It is a portrait of a city in which God has His dwelling
But there is also an element of, you might say, mothering or motherly care
On the part of the church for those who belong to the church
Because it speaks about those who were born there in Zion
And being born there means being born but looked after by the church herself
In the imagery of her being a mother
Which, of course, as we'll see, takes in our responsibility to look after each other
As those who belong to God's church in this world
So as we look at these images in the psalm
I want to look at just three things to try and bring out the teaching of the psalm in that regard
First of all, this is God's city
On the holy mount stands the city He founded
The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob
Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God
So the emphasis there, obviously, is on the city
Zion
Zion is often used, the word is used often interchangeably with Jerusalem
Because Mount Zion, outside Jerusalem, where the temple was situated
Sometimes the word Zion, sometimes it's the word Jerusalem
But in the spiritual meaning of them, especially in the book of Psalms and the prophets
They really stand for the people of God in covenant with Him
Not just the place, but the people who gather in that place
Who belong to God as His people
And we saw in our first study that it's so important that we realize the church is people, not buildings
That it's important that the church is comprised of people in covenant with God
And not the buildings in which they meet
Although that's sometimes referred to as the church, of course
So here is the city of God, God's city
Secondly, there's an emphasis, verses 4 to 6
On the mother city of God's children
The place where God's people are nourished, brought up, and nurtured
Just as a mother takes care of her children
So the church is responsible to take care of those who belong to her
And thirdly, you find in verse 7
That it's a city of joy and life
For life and joy
Singers and dancers alike say
All my springs, all my well springs are in you
Let's try and unfold some of the teaching in those three points
First of all, it's the city He founded
Now we sang already in some Psalms of Zion earlier on
And how Zion, despite its small size comparatively
To those enemies that came to attack from time to time
Nevertheless, God looked after his city
God looked after Zion
Zion was very small compared to the likes of Babylon
Or Nineveh or these great cities in the world of these times
But it's mentioned this year
God founded this city on the Holy Mount
In other words, there's a stability about this city
Which is brought out by the fact that it mentions on the Holy Mount
The city of Zion
Zion, a place built upon the mountain
Not just elevated, but also secure in terms of where it is anchored
And of course that spiritualized is really and is proper for us to spiritualize
That's what the Bible does
It reminds us that when God establishes us as a people
He establishes us on a sure foundation
It's not something like we saw with the children
The Tower of Babel
The attempt of human beings by their own ingenuity
To try and provide security for themselves
To try and actually provide a basis for life
On which they could safely build
And that passage and others tell us
You just can't build that for yourself
You need to belong to the city of God
You need to belong to the people that God is anchoring firmly in himself
On the mount that he himself is
The rock that he himself is
And of course you carry the imagery of Zion
As a city
And the church as a city
You carry that forward
Indeed the Bible does it for us
When it speaks of heaven as a city
You go to Revelation
And you find a description there of heaven
Set out in terms of it being a city
And you recall what's said in Hebrews chapter 11
About Abraham especially
And Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
They traveled about different places
They didn't have a place that they could actually settle in
And this is what it says about Abraham
He dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob
Heirs with him of the same promise
What promise?
The promise of a lasting inheritance
For he was looking for a city that has foundations
Whose builder and maker is God
And in that wonderful chapter
Chapter 11
That list
That wonderful logbook if you like
Of those who lived by faith
You come to the middle of the chapter or thereabouts
It tells us that those who
Actually came to know the Lord
They might have had opportunity to return
To go back
But they didn't want to do that
They were looking for a homeland
And so God is not ashamed
To be called their God
For he has provided for them a city
He has made for them
He has created for them a city
When we call God today
Our God
When you call God
My God
You're using covenant language
You're using the language of citizenship
You're using the language of belonging to God's church
And you're looking forward to a city
That has foundations
To heaven
Whose builder and maker is God
And you notice what he says here
The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwelling places of Jacob
Now often the gates of a place in the Old Testament
Mean the important center place of that city
It's not just gates in the sense of which
Gates were placed on the walls for security
The gates were often where the council met
Where the important people who took the decisions met
In the city
The gates of Jerusalem
The gates of Zion
Are where the business of the place takes
The business of the place occurs
Where decisions are taken
So it's really saying
The Lord loves the gates of Zion
He loves the people
He loves what's going on in Zion
More than all the dwelling places of Jacob
Because Jacob you see
As we mentioned with Abraham as well
Went from place to place in tents
Dwelling places you could just lift up and take with you
Because they were looking forward to permanence
Looking forward to stability
That would last for them
A city that has foundations
Whose builder and maker is God
And now he's saying
God loves the gates of Zion
Why does he love the gates of Zion
More than all the dwelling places of Jacob
Because he has fulfilled his promise
That he would actually come to speak
Of a place where he would build
A temple would be built for him
Where his people would gather
Where they wouldn't have to go from place to place
Where they would no longer be traveling
Through the wilderness
Where they would be settled in the land of promise
And he loves the gates of Zion
More than the dwelling places of Jacob
Doesn't mean he didn't love the dwelling places of Jacob
But it does mean that
When they settled and built a temple
And worshipped in Zion
God's love was focused upon them
It's a covenant community
In relationship with God
Isn't that such a precious thing for yourself
And for myself
And for ourselves
We shouldn't really be thinking
So much in individual terms
As in the congregational sense
Because as we gather here
We're gathering here as a covenant community
As a people who stand in covenant with God
As baptized members of His church
Most of us at least
And that means that in that covenant
We have with God
God is our God
We can take Him as our God
He delights in being known as our God
And in His love He has provided salvation for us
In Jesus Christ
It says glorious things of you are spoken
O city of God
What glorious things
Well especially those things
That are mentioned then
In the following verses
But glorious things
Are spoken of the church
Because the church's future
Is amazingly glorious
You see all of these enemies
That try to actually deal with Zion
And wipe out Zion
And the same down through the ages
Wiping out the church
If it were possible
Which it isn't
Denominations come and go
But God's church remains
And as long as sun and moon endure
God will have a covenant
People somewhere in the world
Until the end of the world
You see here is Zion
This tiny place
Compared to Babylon
Or the might of the Assyrians
Whatever it was
Whatever
People were attacking her
And yet she survived
Look at the apostles
Look at that small group
Of people gathered
After Jesus' resurrection
Before He ascended to heaven
And then even afterwards
Look at them gathered there
Before the day of Pentecost
Before the Spirit came with power
What are they in number?
They're so small
They're so insignificant
In comparison to the world around them
How were these people
That small group of people
Ever going to produce something
Ever going to be something
Meaningful in that great world?
Well if you look at the history
Of the church
That's something you see
All the way down to the present day
Why is there a church?
What's the reason
The church continues to exist?
What's the reason
Despite all the attempts
To actually do away
With the gospel
And do away with the church
How come it's still there?
How come we still have
A believing people
Left in the world
In covenant with God?
Because God
The Most High
Establishes her
That's why
It's God's church
That's what He said to Peter
Wasn't it?
Matthew 16
I will build
My church
Jesus said
And the gates of hell
Shall not prevail against it
You see using
The gates in the same way
As it's used in the psalm here
The gates of Zion
The gates of hell
The powers of darkness
The powers of enmity
To the gospel
All the different ways
In which the
The thinkings
The intrigues
The plans
The purposes
Of the kingdom of darkness
In which they conspire together
Against the church
And we're still here
We don't take pride
In being here
It's not our
Doing as such
But God has seen to it
That He will establish
His church
Glorious things of you
Are spoken
O city of God
And when you go
Into the New Testament
And onto the book of Revelation
And find the imagery
There described
Where heaven is described
As a city
With all this wonderful
Emphasis on
The most precious stones
And gold
And all the rest of it
These are just images
Of something far better
Than diamonds and gold
In themselves
It's the presence of God
Life with God
Salvation
Through Christ
Glorious things
Are spoken
Of the city of God
Aren't you privileged today
To be a citizen of Zion
To be a citizen of the church
To be brought up
Under the teaching
Of the gospel
To be in covenant
With God
And to have these promises
Addressed to you
As believers
But it's also
Secondly
The mother city
Of God's children
You see this
Emphasis from verse 4
Among those who know me
I mention Rahab
And Babylon
Philistia
And Tyre
With Cush
This one was born there
They say
And of Zion
It shall be said
This one
And that one
Were born in her
For the most high
Himself will establish her
The Lord records
As he registers
The people
This one
Was born there
Three times
You have mentioned there
This one was born there
Because Zion is a
Spiritually a place
Of living people
People come to
Spiritual birth
Through belonging
To the church
And even if you
Are outside of the church
Completely
And never belong
To the church
And God starts working
In your life
A person's life
Anybody out there
Today who's never
Been to church
Who's never heard
The gospel
And God comes
Into their life
Well then they're
Joined to the church
They come to belong
To Zion
They come to be a part
Of this covenant
Believing community
You can never separate
The church
And what the church
Is
From rebirth
From being born again
This is what
It takes us to
The New Testament
But
Look at what it's saying
There
Mentioning
Rahab, Babylon,
Philistia, and Tyre
Most of these
Were enemies of Israel
Enemies of the Jewish
People of Zion
And yet it speaks here
Of a great intake
You'll find that
In the prophets
Likes of Isaiah
Chapter 2
Chapter 25
Chapter 56
And of course
In the New Testament
Ephesians
Chapter 2
The death of Jesus
Is the means
By which God
Has brought together
And joined together
Jew and Gentile
Alike
Within the one church
And so important
To the apostles
That there is
Only one church
One believing people
Of God
However many
Denominations
There may be
But there are
There is only
The one believing
People of God
Why was that
Important to the apostles?
It was important
Because
They saw it
That God's
Zion
God's church
Was one
Right through
From the Old Testament
Into the new
And on into eternity
They weren't thinking
Of the church
Of the Old Testament
As a different church
To the church
Of the New Testament
In its essence
They are the people
Of God
And so that's
What remains true
For ourselves
We come today
To be God's
People
In covenant
With himself
And as we do so
We connect with those
Who've gone before us
And that's another
Image that the
New Testament uses
God willing
We'll come to look
At that one too
The image of the church
As a body
The body
Of Christ
The body
That's joined together
Different parts
But all functioning
As one
Well there's the intake
Of the Gentiles
Of which you and I
Ourselves are part
The Gentiles being
All those who are not Jews
Apart from the Jewish people
Everybody else in the world
Were known as the Gentiles
The Gentile world
This is what God had
In his purpose
To bring Gentile
And due together
To be one believing
People in his name
And of course
The emphasis
In the New Testament
Of being born again
You see how it's
Mentioning here
The register
That God keeps
The Lord records
As he registers
The people
This one was born there
Where?
In Zion
They belong to his church
And it's interesting
Isn't it
That there's an emphasis
There on the people
Together
Congregationally
Corporately
The totality
If you like
Of the people
And yet
There's also
This wonderful emphasis
Individually
The Lord records
As he registers
The people
This one
And that one
Was born there
Because when you come
To be born again
And when the Lord
Takes note
Of your spiritual rebirth
That he brings about
And when as it were
He records
Your birth certificate
In his register
In heaven
You're there
As an individual
It belongs
To this larger group
In other words
God is actually saying
That each one
That is born
Is precious to him
It's pastorally
Significant
To God himself
Because it means
Every single one
Of these individuals
Born in Zion
Are precious to him
And have his full attention
They have his care
And full attention
As he actually records
That they are his people
That they belong to him
That they are the born
Children
Of Zion
You know
One of the things
That I
Fail to appreciate
Myself
Is the
Relevance
And importance
And the privilege
Of belonging
To the church
Of belonging
To God's people
In this world
Of having my place
Amongst those people
Of whom this is said
And other things
Are said
We sometimes
You know
Find it all too easy
Just to have
A criticism
Of the church
And that's sometimes
Very rightly the case
Because we all need
Sometimes
To be criticized
And to find fault
With us
But what a huge
Privilege it is today
For you and for me
To belong
To this people
To be a citizen
Of Zion
To be born
In the church
Of God
To be looked
After by God
To have God's
Full attention
As he brings up
His children
Spiritually
For himself
And
That image
Of the church
Is so important
For ourselves
Because
It's not just
A case of
Looking at
An image
When you go
To the New Testament
And when you go
To a passage
Like
Colossians chapter 3
Verse 12
This is really
What it comes to
When you find
Zion
Being
The place
Or the people
In which we are
Nurtured and nourished
Spiritually
Remember how
Paul there writes
As follows
Put on then
As God's chosen ones
Holy and beloved
Compassion
Kindness
Humility
Meekness
And patience
Bearing with one another
And if one has a complaint
Against another
Forgiving each other
As the Lord
Has forgiven you
So you also
Must forgive
And above all these
Put on love
Which binds
Everything together
In perfect harmony
And let the peace
Of Christ
Rule in your hearts
To which indeed
You are called
In one body
And be
Thankful
You see there is
The church looking after
Looking after
Its own members
Looking after
Those who belong
As children
To the church
How they look out
For each other
How they actually
Remember each other
How they help each other
How they forgive each other
How they deal with
One another
On the pattern
Of how God
Has dealt with them
How we all feel in this
We all have to accept
That we don't measure up
As we should
To these great words
But it's our privilege
Nevertheless
To be here
In order to try
And as far as possible
Do that
And be the church of God
And show ourselves
To
To be
In the privileged position
Of being Zion's children
Of whom glorious things
Are said
The church
To put it another way
Ought to be
A safe place
People think nowadays
And speak nowadays
Of having a safe place
Having a place
Where they find safety
Whether it's mental health issues
Spiritual issues
Physical issues
Relationship issues
Whatever
But the church
Must be a safe place
And we must project
That it is a safe place
A place where people
Will have
Their own situation
Dealt with
Honestly
Seriously
Lovingly
Tactfully
Patiently
All those things
This is
The mothering qualities
Of Zion
Of the people of God
Together
As we seek to
Grow
In being nourished
Through God's truth
And thirdly
It's a city
Of life
And joy
He says here
In verse 7
Singers and dancers
Alike
Say
All my springs
Are in with you
There's a picture
Of that
Part of the imagery
It's a picture
Of a joyous
Celebration
Of life
Talks there
About wellsprings
All my wellsprings
Are in you
Just like you find
A spring
Or a fountain
Bubbling up
Through the ground
And providing
It's refreshing water
So
David is saying
So
The psalmist
Is saying
This is how it is
With the church
All my wellsprings
Are in you
What does he mean
By that?
Well he means
That God
Actually provides
The water
Of life
For us
But it comes
To us
Via his church
It comes to us
Through his word
Preached
Through his word
Read
Through his word
Sung
And through the
Sacraments of
Baptism
And the Lord's
Supper
The springs
If you like
Situated in the church
Through which God
Brings nourishment
To our souls
And here is
The psalmist's
Confession
All my
Wellsprings
Are in you
Singers and
Dancers alike
Say this
Doesn't mean that
Stornway Free Church
Is going to introduce
Dancing
Into its
Services
This is just
An imagery
Of great
And wonderful
Celebration
Singers and
Dancers together
As they celebrate
Something that is
Really meaningful
And express
Such great joy
Well he's saying
This is what
Characterizes
Zion
This is what must
Characterize the church
It is a place
Of great joy
A place where there's
Vibrancy of life
As God
Fuels or
Provides
The streams
Of blessing
The streams
Of life
Through the church
Through the
Ordinances he's
Given to his church
And of course we come
This Lord's
Day to remember
That God willing
Another communion
Is anticipated
Next Lord's Day
So here we are
Today
At one of the
Wellsprings
In the gospel
In the word
Preached
And here we are
Looking forward
Next week
To another one
At the Lord's
Supper
Along with the word
May we say
With the psalmist
All my wellsprings
Are in you
The church I belong to
The church of Christ
The church of God
May our mind be
Truly set
Believingly
And longingly
Upon God
Blessing
These wellsprings
To us
On us
Drawing the water
From these great
Wells of salvation
That through the church
Come to be enjoyed
By God's people
You remember
The woman of Samaria
In John chapter 4
Sitting there
By the well
And the Lord
Comes along
Enders into
Conversation with her
As only he could
And eventually
Draws her to the point
Where he says to her
When she mentioned
The Messiah
The Savior
I who am speaking
To you
I am he
And in the conversation
She said
Lord give me more
Of this water
So that I don't need
To come here
To draw water anymore
She didn't quite follow
What he was saying
At that point
And he said to her
Whoever drinks
Of this water
That's the water
Of this well
This literal water
Whoever drinks
Of this water
Shall thirst again
But whoever drinks
Of the water
That I shall give him
Shall never thirst
But it will be in him
A spring of water
Welling up
To eternal life
I've mentioned
Many times already
A place that's
Quite precious to myself
A spring of water
Bubbling up
Through the sands
Down at Airtongue
Where I was brought up
There last week
In fact
Went down just again
To see it
Despite the fact
That for generations
The sea has been
Coming in
To cover that
Little spring of water
Covers it up
And then the sea
Goes out again
And still that water
Keeps bubbling up
And it's like that
In your soul
As a Christian today
When you're in
Covenant with Jesus
When you're born again
When your life
Is secure in him
Whatever things
Wash over your life
From time to time
And let's face it
There are many people
Here who know
Better than I do
Of the sheer difficulties
And challenges of life
But whatever water
Wash over you
To cause distress
And trauma
And pain
And challenge
You will always find
Where God places
Spiritual life
That it cannot
Be extinguished
It keeps welling up
And I'm sure
Most if not all
Of you today
Are thankful
In some regard
For that
In some way or other
That you can say
Of your life
Lord
I'm so thankful
That when things
Were critical for me
And when I faced
A challenge
That was far greater
Than I could cope
With myself
Your spring of water
Kept flowing
Your spring of life
In my soul
Kept bubbling up
Kept feeding me
Kept me in life
All my wellsprings
Are in you
The psalmist
Is saying
Now you have been
Sitting
By a well
Today
Where the water
Of life
Is placed
By God
You've been sitting
At the well
Of the gospel
You've been sitting
Beside
One of the
Wonderful provisions
Of God
One of these
Wellsprings
That he has placed
In his church
But it's one thing
To be sitting
Near the well
That's another thing
To drink of it
And I hope today
That no one here
Has left this building
Without drinking
Of Christ
Without drinking
These precious waters
These wellsprings
In the gospel
That he's placed
In the church
That's why we're here
That's what it means
To us
To belong to the church
It's where God
Flows life
Into our souls
And you notice
That the title
Of the song
The title of the psalm
Is simply
A psalm
Of the sons
Of Korah
And then it says
A song
Very simple
But very profoundly
Important
Because all the
Great truths
That we have
In this psalm
The great truths
About God's city
God's church
Being a city
Well founded
Well placed
And situated
And stable
The great truths
Of the church
Being a place
Where people
Are nourished
Spiritually
In the gospel
There's great truths
About a place
Of joy
And of
Vibrancy
Of life
God is saying
That's for you
To sing about
That's for you
To channel
Into your praises
Of God
Because that's why
It's here called
A song
And as we come
In a few moments
To our final singing
Today
To conclude
This service
Sing
Of the privilege
Of belonging
To the church
Doesn't matter
What you might say
Your quality of voice
Is
Or even if you think
You don't have a voice
At all
Of any
Of any quality
Sing it
Let it out
Make sure
God hears you
Singing
Of what it means
To you
To belong
To God's church
To God's city
To God's mother city
To God's place
Of joy
And celebration
Of life
May God bless
His word to us
Once again
We're singing now
In conclusion
From Psalm 46
Psalm 46a
In the Sing Psalms
Version of Psalm 46
That's on page 59
Verses 4 to 7
A river flows
Whose streams
Delight the city
Of our God
The holy place
In which the Lord
Most High
Has his abode
God is within
His holy place
The city will not yield
For God will come
At break of day
To be her help
And shield
On to verse 7
The Lord Almighty
Is with us
To strengthen
And sustain
For Jacob's God
Our strong defence
And fortress
Will remain
These verses
Then in conclusion
Again we stand
To sing
A river
Close to
Saints
Delight
The city
The city of the God
The holy place
In which the Lord
Most high
Hath is upon
God is within
His holy place
The city
Will not yield
For God will come
The kingdom's day
To be her help
And shield
The nations are in disarray
The kingdom's day
The kingdom's disappear
God speaks
The kingdom's day
God is within
The kingdom's day
Lord Almighty
The kingdom's day
For Jacob's day
The kingdom's day
And fortress
Will remain
After the benediction
I'll go to the main door
This morning
Now may the grace
Of the Lord Jesus Christ
The love of God the Father
And the communion
Of the Holy Spirit
Be with you now
And evermore
Amen
Thank you.