1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:23,800 God, you were there from my beginning 2 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:30,360 For I was crafted by your hands 3 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:37,460 You see my hopes and hesitations 4 00:00:37,460 --> 00:00:43,740 My days are written in your plan 5 00:00:53,800 --> 00:01:06,520 If you have seen my weakest moments, and still you love me even then, 6 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:20,320 I need no greater confirmation that God, your goodness, has no end. 7 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:27,100 I come to Jesus, lay down my weakness. 8 00:01:27,100 --> 00:01:33,620 No need for hiding here in his life. 9 00:01:33,620 --> 00:01:39,960 This truth I treasure, my peace forever. 10 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:46,900 His being known and loved by him. 11 00:01:50,320 --> 00:02:20,300 Thank you. 12 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:50,300 Thank you. 13 00:02:50,320 --> 00:03:20,300 Thank you. 14 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:31,320 10,000 reasons. 15 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:50,020 Bless the Lord, oh my soul. 16 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:58,320 Oh, my soul, worship his holy name 17 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,940 Sing like never before 18 00:06:02,940 --> 00:06:11,320 Oh, my soul, I worship your holy name 19 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:23,460 The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning 20 00:06:23,460 --> 00:06:29,360 It's time to sing your song again 21 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:37,040 Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me 22 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:45,100 Let me be singing when the evening comes 23 00:06:45,100 --> 00:06:52,980 Bless the Lord, O my soul 24 00:06:52,980 --> 00:06:56,300 O my soul 25 00:06:56,300 --> 00:07:00,920 Worship His holy name 26 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:06,040 Sing like never before 27 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,380 O my soul 28 00:07:09,380 --> 00:07:13,740 I'll worship Your holy name 29 00:07:13,740 --> 00:07:32,420 you're rich in love and you're slow to anger your name is great and your heart is kind 30 00:07:32,420 --> 00:07:39,420 For all your goodness I will keep on singing 31 00:07:39,420 --> 00:07:47,540 Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find 32 00:07:47,540 --> 00:07:59,040 Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul 33 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:04,040 Worship His holy name 34 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,920 Sin like never before 35 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,180 Oh my soul 36 00:08:12,180 --> 00:08:17,300 I'll worship Your holy name 37 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:25,260 And on that day 38 00:08:25,260 --> 00:08:28,980 When my strength is failing 39 00:08:28,980 --> 00:08:35,260 The end draws near and my time has come 40 00:08:35,260 --> 00:08:42,320 Still my soul will sing your praise unending 41 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:50,640 Ten thousand years and then forevermore 42 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:58,660 Bless the Lord, O my soul 43 00:08:58,660 --> 00:09:02,020 Oh my soul 44 00:09:02,020 --> 00:09:07,000 Worship His holy name 45 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,760 Sing like never before 46 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,120 Oh my soul 47 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:21,360 I'll worship Your holy name 48 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,160 Bless the Lord, oh my soul 49 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,460 Oh my soul 50 00:09:28,460 --> 00:09:33,440 Worship his holy name 51 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:38,280 Sin like never before 52 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,540 Oh my soul 53 00:09:41,540 --> 00:09:46,340 I'll worship your holy name 54 00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:53,380 Yes, I will worship your holy name 55 00:09:53,380 --> 00:10:00,000 Lord, I worship your holy name 56 00:10:23,380 --> 00:10:37,220 Standing on this mountaintop, looking just how far we've come, knowing that for every step you were with us. 57 00:10:37,220 --> 00:10:50,780 Kneeling on this battleground, seeing just how much you've done, knowing every victory is your power in us. 58 00:10:50,780 --> 00:10:54,160 Scars and struggles on the way 59 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,620 But with joy our hearts can't say 60 00:10:57,620 --> 00:11:02,260 Yes, our hearts can't say 61 00:11:02,260 --> 00:11:10,600 Never once did we ever walk alone 62 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:17,220 Never once did you leave us on our own 63 00:11:17,220 --> 00:11:24,480 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 64 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:29,640 Kneeling on this battleground 65 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,000 Seeing just how much you've done 66 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,160 Knowing every victory 67 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,860 It's your power in us 68 00:11:39,860 --> 00:11:43,160 Scars and struggles on your way 69 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,740 But with joy our hearts can't save 70 00:11:46,740 --> 00:11:51,360 Yes, our hearts can't say 71 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:59,460 Never once did we ever walk alone 72 00:11:59,460 --> 00:12:06,220 Never once did you leave us on our own 73 00:12:06,220 --> 00:12:13,260 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 74 00:12:13,260 --> 00:12:20,140 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 75 00:12:20,140 --> 00:12:25,400 Skies and struggles on the way 76 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,880 But with joy our hearts can say 77 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:35,120 Never once did we ever walk alone 78 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:38,960 Carried by your constant grace 79 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,520 Held within your perfect peace 80 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:50,060 Never once, no we never walked alone 81 00:12:50,060 --> 00:12:58,620 Never once did we ever walk alone 82 00:12:58,620 --> 00:13:05,560 Never once did you leave us on our own 83 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:12,440 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 84 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:19,060 Every step we are breathing in your grace 85 00:13:19,060 --> 00:13:25,780 Evermore we'll be breathing in your grace 86 00:13:25,780 --> 00:13:32,700 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 87 00:13:32,700 --> 00:13:39,460 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 88 00:13:39,460 --> 00:13:46,240 You are faithful, God, you are faithful 89 00:14:09,460 --> 00:14:39,440 Thank you. 90 00:14:39,460 --> 00:15:09,440 Thank you. 91 00:15:09,460 --> 00:15:39,440 Thank you. 92 00:30:09,460 --> 00:30:20,220 Before we sing this song, it's a new song to some of us, and so I want to just give you 93 00:30:20,220 --> 00:30:21,060 a little bit of introduction. 94 00:30:21,060 --> 00:30:26,700 It's been a song that I've been wanting us to learn for a while, and when it comes to 95 00:30:26,700 --> 00:30:32,120 songs that we sing, sometimes it is, there are songs we might want to sing, but they're 96 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,120 not necessarily easy to sing congregationally. 97 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:44,800 This, however, is one that is both a, I think, a message that we need about our firm foundation 98 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:50,080 taking directly from Jesus' parable about building the house on the rock. 99 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,180 And it's been one I've been wanting to learn for a while, and I wasn't sure how to introduce it. 100 00:30:54,180 --> 00:31:01,620 And so last Sunday, in this kind of joyful moment of worship, Abigail was baptized. 101 00:31:01,620 --> 00:31:05,060 And this is one of the songs that we sang last Sunday. 102 00:31:05,060 --> 00:31:09,380 And so I figured a few of us have now heard it, so we can all sing it now. 103 00:31:09,380 --> 00:31:13,680 And so we're going to go ahead and sing Firm Foundation. 104 00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:52,540 be shaken. I've never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus. Cause he's never let me down. 105 00:31:52,540 --> 00:32:04,120 He's faithful through generations. So why would he fail now? He won't. 106 00:32:05,060 --> 00:32:09,420 He won't 107 00:32:09,420 --> 00:32:15,940 I've still got joy in chaos 108 00:32:15,940 --> 00:32:21,440 I've got peace that makes no sense 109 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,260 So I won't be going under 110 00:32:25,260 --> 00:32:30,980 I'm not held by my own strength 111 00:32:30,980 --> 00:32:34,800 Cause I'll build my life on Jesus 112 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:40,700 He's never let me down 113 00:32:40,700 --> 00:32:44,480 He's faithful in every season 114 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:50,680 So why would he fail now? 115 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,300 He won't 116 00:32:52,300 --> 00:32:57,480 He won't 117 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:04,680 He won't fail 118 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,640 He won't fail 119 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,460 He won't 120 00:33:11,460 --> 00:33:16,420 He won't 121 00:33:16,420 --> 00:33:22,040 He won't fail 122 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:28,700 He won't fail 123 00:33:28,700 --> 00:33:38,500 Rain came, wind blew, but my house was built on you 124 00:33:38,500 --> 00:33:48,080 I'll say with you, I'm gonna make it through 125 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:57,820 Rain came, wind blew, but my house was built on you 126 00:33:57,820 --> 00:34:03,500 I'm safe with you 127 00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:07,440 I'm gonna make it through 128 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:12,280 Yeah, I'm gonna make it through 129 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:17,060 Cause I'm standing strong on you 130 00:34:17,060 --> 00:34:21,820 Oh, I'm gonna make it through 131 00:34:21,820 --> 00:34:26,500 Cause my house is built on you 132 00:34:26,500 --> 00:34:35,880 Christ is my firm foundation, the rock on which I stand. 133 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:45,460 When everything around me is shaken, I've never been more glad. 134 00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:55,040 I put my faith in Jesus, cause He's never let me down. 135 00:34:55,540 --> 00:34:58,980 He's faithful through generations 136 00:34:58,980 --> 00:35:05,320 So why would he fail now? 137 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:06,920 He won't 138 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:11,980 He won't 139 00:35:11,980 --> 00:35:18,720 He won't fail 140 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:24,160 He won't fail 141 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:27,120 He won't 142 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:38,960 Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and does them 143 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,780 will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 144 00:35:42,780 --> 00:35:46,180 And the rain fell and the floods came, 145 00:35:46,180 --> 00:35:49,020 and the winds blew and beat on that house, 146 00:35:49,020 --> 00:35:52,340 but it did not fall because it had been founded upon the rock. 147 00:35:52,340 --> 00:35:57,400 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them 148 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:01,480 will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 149 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:04,780 And the rain fell and the floods came, 150 00:36:04,780 --> 00:36:07,100 and the winds blew and beat against that house, 151 00:36:07,140 --> 00:36:11,340 and it fell, and great was the fall of it. 152 00:36:11,340 --> 00:36:15,620 And when I hear this, and as a kid when I sung 153 00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:18,080 The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock, 154 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:22,960 it's a very clear contrast with a very clear answer 155 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,140 as to what we want our life built upon. 156 00:36:26,140 --> 00:36:30,120 None of us want the house that collapses 157 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,660 when the storms of life come. 158 00:36:32,660 --> 00:36:36,820 In one of the other gospel accounts of this parable, 159 00:36:37,140 --> 00:36:42,240 it will say that the wise man dug down deep. 160 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:48,460 He didn't simply go and place his house, but he surveyed and he looked 161 00:36:48,460 --> 00:36:53,220 and he dug down deep to the rock that is Christ. 162 00:36:53,220 --> 00:36:58,600 And one of the ways that we, as God's people, as Christians, 163 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:03,260 dig down deep to the rock that is Christ 164 00:37:03,260 --> 00:37:07,080 is through this meal that we are about to partake of. 165 00:37:07,140 --> 00:37:12,520 this meal that directs us to Jesus, that directs us to hope, 166 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,480 that nourishes us in strength. 167 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:20,080 And so we're going to pray, and then we'll read some Scripture 168 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,480 and partake of this meal together. 169 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:28,340 Father, I ask in this moment that you would help us to dig down deep to you 170 00:37:28,340 --> 00:37:35,480 in a world filled with distraction and temptation and dizziness and noise, 171 00:37:35,620 --> 00:37:46,120 That you would help us to see that you are the rock, that you are our shelter, that you are our fortress, that you are our only hope. 172 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:55,560 And so I ask that as we eat this bread and as we drink this cup, that you would help us to see Jesus. 173 00:37:55,560 --> 00:38:01,120 That you would help us to be nourished by him, strengthened by him. 174 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:05,500 And that you would bring us to the joy that is in our salvation. 175 00:38:05,620 --> 00:38:08,800 I ask that you bless this bread and this cup. 176 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:10,680 It's in Jesus' name that we pray. 177 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:11,700 Amen. 178 00:38:11,700 --> 00:38:19,080 Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians, the 11th chapter. 179 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:20,660 He'll say, 180 00:38:20,660 --> 00:38:23,480 For I received from the Lord that what I delivered to you, 181 00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:26,160 the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, 182 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:29,840 took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it. 183 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,680 He said, This is my body, which is for you. 184 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,920 Do this in remembrance of me. 185 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:37,460 Let's partake of the bread together. 186 00:38:37,460 --> 00:38:51,060 And in the same way, also, he took the cup after supper, saying, 187 00:38:51,060 --> 00:38:53,920 This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 188 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:57,860 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 189 00:38:57,860 --> 00:38:58,600 Let's drink it. 190 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:13,540 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until 191 00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:14,500 he comes. 192 00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:20,400 We are this morning going to be in the 77th Psalm. 193 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:25,780 We're going to spend some time there this morning and what we are planning to do for 194 00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:36,000 The next four weeks is we're going to spend some time seeking to remember, to look back on the blessings of God, 195 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:43,660 to look back on the lessons that God gives us to be encouraged by remembering. 196 00:39:43,660 --> 00:39:47,080 It's a phrase that runs throughout Scripture. 197 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,060 It's a command of God's people. 198 00:39:49,420 --> 00:39:55,760 And if we are to be thankful people, we are to be remembering people. 199 00:39:55,760 --> 00:40:05,140 So I'm going to begin with a word of prayer, and then we'll get to the 77th Psalm here in just a moment. 200 00:40:05,140 --> 00:40:07,480 Let's go ahead and pray. 201 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,240 Father in heaven, help us this morning. 202 00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:15,640 Help us to remember in those dark moments of life when the storms rage 203 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:19,420 and it seems as if everything is against us. 204 00:40:19,420 --> 00:40:23,800 Help us to remember you, to remember your promises, 205 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:27,980 to intentionally seek to set our soul upon you. 206 00:40:27,980 --> 00:40:29,980 May you give us strength. 207 00:40:29,980 --> 00:40:31,960 May you give us peace. 208 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:33,780 And may you direct us to hope. 209 00:40:33,780 --> 00:40:36,000 It's in your son's name we pray. 210 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:36,720 Amen. 211 00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:41,100 So for a long time during my school years, 212 00:40:41,100 --> 00:40:44,640 I really struggled with poetry. 213 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,960 and I once thought that I had found some poetry that I liked 214 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:52,340 or a poem that I liked by Robert Frost 215 00:40:52,340 --> 00:40:55,060 and it was called The Mending Wall 216 00:40:55,060 --> 00:40:58,740 and in this poem it pictures two pieces of property 217 00:40:58,740 --> 00:41:01,360 and between these two pieces of property 218 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:04,580 runs one of those sort of picturesque old stone walls 219 00:41:04,580 --> 00:41:07,980 that sometimes you see around old properties 220 00:41:07,980 --> 00:41:12,800 and it has two neighbors who every spring they meet up 221 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:17,080 and they walk together, one on each side of the wall 222 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:20,640 and they pick up the rocks that the frost has moved down 223 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:24,800 and they pick up the rocks that the hunters climbing over the wall have knocked down 224 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:28,980 and they pick up the rocks where the tree has fallen and knocked down 225 00:41:28,980 --> 00:41:33,700 essentially repairing the walls between their property. 226 00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:40,440 And the poet, Robert Frost, is thinking about this wall 227 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,840 and he's thinking about how it divides the property 228 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:45,360 and he tries to talk to his neighbor 229 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:48,220 about this wall that runs between their property 230 00:41:48,220 --> 00:41:51,320 and the neighbor simply replies 231 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:54,320 which has been one of my favorite phrases ever since 232 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:57,220 he says good fences make good neighbors 233 00:41:57,220 --> 00:41:58,900 and at the end of the poem 234 00:41:58,900 --> 00:42:00,700 the guy is so pleased with himself 235 00:42:00,700 --> 00:42:04,240 he says again good fences make good neighbors 236 00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:07,080 and I remember reading this in English class 237 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:09,160 and saying yes they do 238 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,620 And I like this, right? 239 00:42:11,620 --> 00:42:17,280 This became like my one example of poetry that for most of my school years I enjoy. 240 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:20,680 And then I realized that's not the point of that poem at all. 241 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:24,940 In fact, rather, it's opposite to the point of the poem. 242 00:42:24,940 --> 00:42:33,380 And upon realizing that, my thought as a student was, who really needs poetry anyway? 243 00:42:33,380 --> 00:42:37,500 Why can't you just say what you mean and mean what you say? 244 00:42:37,500 --> 00:42:43,060 and I carried this poetic baggage with me for a while, 245 00:42:43,060 --> 00:42:45,400 especially as I approached the Psalms. 246 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:50,660 Because when you come to the Psalms, it's 150 chapters of songs 247 00:42:50,660 --> 00:42:53,040 or it's 150 chapters, another way of saying it, 248 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:55,340 it's 150 chapters of poetry. 249 00:42:55,340 --> 00:42:58,880 And it has all this picturesque language 250 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:03,760 and there's emotions and all of the things that go with that. 251 00:43:04,420 --> 00:43:08,600 And I loved, and I still love, the narrative portions of Scripture. 252 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:14,600 In fact, I was sharing with the kids this week that one time my grandma Nelson asked me to read Scripture. 253 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,580 My parents were out of town, and she was like, hey, can you read a Bible story to us before bed? 254 00:43:17,580 --> 00:43:21,220 And so I read the story of Ehud, which if you don't know the story of Ehud, 255 00:43:21,220 --> 00:43:26,540 it's like a secret agent movie with concealed weapons and deception and stabbing, 256 00:43:26,540 --> 00:43:28,840 and it gets really wild at the end. 257 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:29,960 Like, I love that. 258 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:33,960 I love hearing the narrative sections of the Bible. 259 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:39,020 I loved reading about Jesus and calming the storm and feeding the 5,000. 260 00:43:39,020 --> 00:43:40,760 I loved the book of Revelation. 261 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,820 Like, where else are you going to get dragons, right? 262 00:43:42,820 --> 00:43:46,780 And, like, fire and all of trumpets and all of these things. 263 00:43:46,780 --> 00:43:49,080 And so I loved the narrative portion. 264 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:55,040 I loved reading through the Apostle Paul because he so logically takes theology, 265 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:58,900 lays it out, and then goes, this is how you put it into practice in your life. 266 00:43:58,900 --> 00:44:00,200 And I need that. 267 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:03,740 And as someone who likes to argue, I love the book of Hebrews. 268 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:09,780 Because it's just one big argument about how Jesus is better in every area of life, right? 269 00:44:09,780 --> 00:44:15,980 He's a better priest, he's a better prophet, he's a better king, he's the better Passover lamb who serves in a better temple. 270 00:44:15,980 --> 00:44:21,480 And I loved it, but I struggled for a long time with the Psalms. 271 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:28,440 And then somehow, and I'm still not quite sure how, I found myself on the road to being a pastor. 272 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:38,000 And I learned that in the New Testament, the most quoted book of the Old Testament is the Psalms. 273 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:46,920 So if you really want to be able to understand some parts of the New Testament, you have to be able to understand the Psalms. 274 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:53,740 And then Jesus shows up and says this in Luke the 24th chapter. 275 00:44:53,740 --> 00:44:58,780 These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you. 276 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:06,160 That everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophet and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 277 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:10,680 And this is a monumental statement for how we view the Old Testament. 278 00:45:10,680 --> 00:45:14,340 How it's viewed through a lens of Jesus. 279 00:45:14,340 --> 00:45:17,040 That it all points to Jesus. 280 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:22,660 And it's wonderful, but for me I was a little annoyed because it's like, Jesus, really? 281 00:45:22,660 --> 00:45:24,320 The Psalms? Do we need more poetry? 282 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:27,580 But then I began to read the Psalms. 283 00:45:28,420 --> 00:45:39,900 And not in the way that I read the Psalms or I read poetry in English class where the purpose was to get it done as quickly as possible and move on to something that I liked to read. 284 00:45:39,900 --> 00:45:44,380 And what I found in the Psalms was transformational. 285 00:45:44,380 --> 00:45:54,380 There aren't simply poems or songs that we look back on, kind of like the weird music that our grandparents or our parents liked. 286 00:45:55,200 --> 00:46:02,600 But these words in the psalms, they engage our hearts, they engage our minds, they move into our actions. 287 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:11,980 The feelings they describe and the feelings that they encourage, or in some cases discourage, are based on clear arguments, which I like. 288 00:46:11,980 --> 00:46:13,820 They're practical. 289 00:46:13,820 --> 00:46:20,240 And what I found out about the psalms is that they are wonderful. 290 00:46:20,240 --> 00:46:24,580 So we're going to take a look at the 77th psalm this morning. 291 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:31,060 And it begins with this title that is simply, In the Day of Trouble. 292 00:46:31,060 --> 00:46:36,160 And there's a little note in your Bibles at the very beginning that says, 293 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:42,180 To the Choir Master, according to Jejuthun, a psalm of Asaph. 294 00:46:42,180 --> 00:46:45,220 And this psalm is written for public worship. 295 00:46:45,220 --> 00:46:52,680 The tune or the style is that of Jejuthun, and Asaph was a worship leader. 296 00:46:53,340 --> 00:47:00,680 And he wrote 12 psalms, and the thing about Asaph, as he writes, his psalms tend to be a little bit dark. 297 00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:06,200 They tend to contain a fair amount of struggle as you read them. 298 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:09,480 In fact, Charles Spurgeon described Asaph like this. 299 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:15,860 Asaph was a man of exercised mind who often touched a minor key. 300 00:47:16,980 --> 00:47:24,720 He was thoughtful, contemplative, believing, but there was a dash of sadness about him. 301 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:28,380 And this imparted a tonic flavor to his songs. 302 00:47:28,380 --> 00:47:36,840 To follow him with understanding, it is needful to have done business on the great waters 303 00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:40,480 and to weather many an Atlantic gale. 304 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:45,200 And what Spurgeon is saying is that this guy has seen some stuff, right? 305 00:47:45,220 --> 00:47:46,620 It's like the farmer's commercial. 306 00:47:46,620 --> 00:47:50,400 We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. 307 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:58,720 And when you come to hear Asaph, he's not describing the darkness of the struggle that he's facing 308 00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:03,880 as an outsider for whom life has always been rosy and easy. 309 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:08,260 But he has walked his life through the darkness and through the storm. 310 00:48:08,260 --> 00:48:13,320 And now he's writing to us about what his journey was like. 311 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,120 And this particular psalm is a bit like walking through a tunnel. 312 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:22,880 And I know probably many of us have gone up a little past Pawpaw to the Pawpaw Tunnel, 313 00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:27,100 the canal trail that runs about 3,000 feet through a mountain. 314 00:48:27,100 --> 00:48:29,580 There's a little towpath you can walk through. 315 00:48:29,580 --> 00:48:34,000 And one of the things that startled me the first time I did it is we went in 316 00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:35,620 and we weren't prepared with flashlights. 317 00:48:35,620 --> 00:48:38,120 And we're walking down the canal towpath. 318 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:40,500 And from the very beginning, you look at the end, 319 00:48:40,500 --> 00:48:42,620 and it's just kind of this little bit of light. 320 00:48:43,220 --> 00:48:49,480 And what it seemed to me that as I walked, and I walked, and I walked down that, 321 00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:53,880 I said, man, I feel like I'm about a mile in, and this thing is only 3,000 feet. 322 00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:58,800 And I look back, and the entrance has gotten way smaller, 323 00:48:58,800 --> 00:49:05,140 but the exit where we're going to still seems to be a million miles away. 324 00:49:05,140 --> 00:49:12,940 And so we're walking in the dark, and the light at the end of the tunnel seems very, very small. 325 00:49:13,220 --> 00:49:19,560 and this morning that's where asaph is he's in the middle of the tunnel but instead of a light 326 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:27,520 at the end of the tunnel it's dark or it's cloudy and in some cases you can't see the light at all 327 00:49:27,520 --> 00:49:33,180 one more note before we dive into it this psalm uses the word selah three times 328 00:49:33,180 --> 00:49:39,500 she's 74 times in the Bible three times in Habakkuk 71 times in the psalms and it's a 329 00:49:39,500 --> 00:49:41,480 musical term that we're not quite 330 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:43,240 sure of the meaning of but 331 00:49:43,240 --> 00:49:45,400 likely it means to 332 00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:47,700 pause and specifically 333 00:49:47,700 --> 00:49:49,400 in Scripture it likely means 334 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:51,260 to pause with purpose 335 00:49:51,260 --> 00:49:53,520 to consider what has just 336 00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:55,020 been said to think about 337 00:49:55,020 --> 00:49:57,440 to meditate on what has been 338 00:49:57,440 --> 00:49:59,400 said and in the 339 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:01,340 stanzas of the psalm he gets to the end 340 00:50:01,340 --> 00:50:03,420 and he goes think about this for just a moment 341 00:50:03,420 --> 00:50:05,400 so let's 342 00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:07,400 take a look at what he says in this 343 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:09,100 psalm the first stanza we're going to 344 00:50:09,100 --> 00:50:10,780 and get a glimpse of his hurt. 345 00:50:10,780 --> 00:50:13,660 In the second, we're going to understand the depth of it. 346 00:50:13,660 --> 00:50:18,400 And in the third stanza, we'll walk with him as he fights for joy. 347 00:50:18,400 --> 00:50:21,520 So as we walk into the day of trouble, 348 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:25,120 we're going to begin by reading the first three verses. 349 00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:29,600 I cried aloud to God, aloud to God. 350 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:30,700 He will hear me. 351 00:50:30,700 --> 00:50:34,120 In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord. 352 00:50:34,120 --> 00:50:37,980 In the night, my hand is stretched out without wearying, 353 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:40,720 And my soul refuses to be comforted. 354 00:50:40,720 --> 00:50:43,020 When I remember God, I moan. 355 00:50:43,020 --> 00:50:46,000 And when I meditate, my spirit faints. 356 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:52,380 And he says, Selah, pause and consider my situation. 357 00:50:52,380 --> 00:50:57,000 Now, we don't know what this man's difficulty or trouble is. 358 00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:58,840 And I think that's intentional. 359 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:04,680 Because if we don't know what the problem was, it would limit the help to which this psalm would be for us. 360 00:51:04,700 --> 00:51:09,540 We might say, well, this is only a help for those who are in the day of trouble with sickness 361 00:51:09,540 --> 00:51:15,540 or the day of trouble of conflict or the day of trouble in regards to being opposed. 362 00:51:15,540 --> 00:51:17,260 But the psalmist doesn't tell us. 363 00:51:17,260 --> 00:51:24,540 And I think that is an intentional moving of the Holy Spirit to help us be able to look at this psalm 364 00:51:24,540 --> 00:51:29,240 for that place where we either are right now or will be in the future. 365 00:51:29,240 --> 00:51:33,820 Because the reality is not, will I face a day of trouble? 366 00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:38,140 It's when will I face the day of trouble. 367 00:51:38,140 --> 00:51:45,600 And so Asaph simply says he cries aloud to God without stopping. 368 00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:51,300 And it says he reaches out his hand and he says it's not getting weary. 369 00:51:51,300 --> 00:51:52,860 And that doesn't mean he's not getting tired. 370 00:51:52,860 --> 00:51:56,060 He's like, I'm just not going to stop reaching out for God. 371 00:51:56,060 --> 00:52:01,880 But he says, it seems like my soul is running out of steam. 372 00:52:02,680 --> 00:52:08,040 When I remember God, I moan, and when I meditate, my spirit faints. 373 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:13,480 He's struggling, he's looking out, and nothing. 374 00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:21,880 He's cried aloud to God, and he hears nothing in response. 375 00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:26,980 And now we think, well, maybe he's going to tell us what to do when we're in this situation. 376 00:52:26,980 --> 00:52:30,420 Tell us how to fix it, how to deal with this struggle. 377 00:52:30,420 --> 00:52:32,160 And the answer is absolutely not. 378 00:52:32,680 --> 00:52:41,720 In fact, what you find is the trouble for this man only gets worse. 379 00:52:41,720 --> 00:52:47,400 And even as he searches for hope, it seems like he won't find it. 380 00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:49,260 Listen to what he says. 381 00:52:49,260 --> 00:52:54,380 You hold my eyelids open, and I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 382 00:52:54,380 --> 00:52:58,420 I consider the days of old, the years long ago, and I said, 383 00:52:58,420 --> 00:53:00,740 let me remember my song in the night 384 00:53:00,740 --> 00:53:03,200 let me meditate in my heart 385 00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:06,180 then my spirit made a diligent search 386 00:53:06,180 --> 00:53:09,200 will the Lord spurn forever 387 00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:10,540 and never again be favorable 388 00:53:10,540 --> 00:53:14,180 has his steadfast love forever ceased 389 00:53:14,180 --> 00:53:18,460 are his promises at an end for all time 390 00:53:18,460 --> 00:53:20,760 has God forgotten to be gracious 391 00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:23,920 has he in anger shut up his compassion 392 00:53:23,920 --> 00:53:25,760 say law 393 00:53:25,760 --> 00:53:28,100 and instead of answers 394 00:53:28,100 --> 00:53:29,840 the struggle opens 395 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:31,960 this is not 396 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:34,200 a superficial flesh 397 00:53:34,200 --> 00:53:34,780 wound 398 00:53:34,780 --> 00:53:37,600 that the promised is struggling with 399 00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:39,600 he's not simply having a bad day 400 00:53:39,600 --> 00:53:41,840 and if you've been around children 401 00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:43,860 you know that there is times 402 00:53:43,860 --> 00:53:45,820 when they are hurt and there is 403 00:53:45,820 --> 00:53:47,580 times when they are hurt 404 00:53:47,580 --> 00:53:49,840 and one of the ways you tell 405 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:50,660 the difference 406 00:53:50,660 --> 00:53:53,720 is when they're crying and they seem to 407 00:53:53,720 --> 00:53:55,380 be hurt and you run over to them 408 00:53:55,380 --> 00:53:56,580 and you pick them up 409 00:53:56,580 --> 00:53:57,620 and you check them over 410 00:53:57,620 --> 00:54:00,100 and like a minute and a half later 411 00:54:00,100 --> 00:54:01,900 they're back running with their friends again. 412 00:54:01,900 --> 00:54:05,040 But then there's times when they're hurt 413 00:54:05,040 --> 00:54:06,920 and you go and you run 414 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:07,900 and you pick them up 415 00:54:07,900 --> 00:54:08,660 and you begin to comfort 416 00:54:08,660 --> 00:54:12,580 and you realize that this is not merely a scratch 417 00:54:12,580 --> 00:54:14,900 or a bump or being startled by a fall 418 00:54:14,900 --> 00:54:17,880 but they are actually injured. 419 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:20,680 The psalmist here is searching for hope 420 00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:22,300 and it's not getting any better. 421 00:54:22,300 --> 00:54:23,860 He goes, I can't sleep. 422 00:54:23,940 --> 00:54:25,400 You hold my eyelids open. 423 00:54:25,400 --> 00:54:28,140 I desperately long to rest and to sleep. 424 00:54:28,140 --> 00:54:32,220 But you, speaking to God, you're holding my eyelids open. 425 00:54:32,220 --> 00:54:34,820 And I can't even speak. 426 00:54:34,820 --> 00:54:37,880 There's talking through the tears. 427 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:46,300 But then there are times when the tears are so strong and emotion runs so deep you can't get the words out. 428 00:54:46,300 --> 00:54:51,720 And so he goes, I'm going to find comfort and I'm going to find hope in the goodness of God. 429 00:54:52,480 --> 00:54:54,940 And he said, I'm going to find the song in the night. 430 00:54:54,940 --> 00:55:01,520 It's a reference to the book of Job where it talks about how God gives songs in the night, but not to this man. 431 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:08,400 And he goes, I have made a diligent, diligent search. 432 00:55:08,400 --> 00:55:10,720 Not how I look for things, right? 433 00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:14,640 I'll ask Rachel and I'll say, hey, do you know, this is a common question. 434 00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:15,780 Do you know where I put my wallet? 435 00:55:15,780 --> 00:55:18,200 And she'll say, yeah, it's on the desk in the living room. 436 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:20,780 And I'll walk in and I'll look on the desk in the living room. 437 00:55:20,780 --> 00:55:21,960 I won't find it. 438 00:55:22,380 --> 00:55:24,140 And I go, it's absolutely not here. 439 00:55:24,140 --> 00:55:26,940 And she walks in and she'll move a book like a quarter of an inch. 440 00:55:26,940 --> 00:55:28,480 And there's my wallet. 441 00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:31,060 That's not what the man in the Psalms is doing. 442 00:55:31,060 --> 00:55:34,560 He's not simply going, I don't see it anywhere. 443 00:55:34,560 --> 00:55:42,680 He's searching in the depths of his sorrow with his eyes unable to shut because of the anguish in his soul. 444 00:55:42,680 --> 00:55:45,260 And he is searching to find the answer. 445 00:55:45,260 --> 00:55:46,620 He's searching for hope. 446 00:55:46,620 --> 00:55:49,140 And it's still dark. 447 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:57,480 And here's the answer that he finds when he says, let me remember my song in the night. 448 00:55:57,480 --> 00:55:59,220 Let me meditate in the heart. 449 00:55:59,220 --> 00:56:02,260 The answer that he finds is what God has done in the past. 450 00:56:02,260 --> 00:56:08,040 It doesn't, and this is important, doesn't seem like he's doing that now. 451 00:56:08,040 --> 00:56:09,620 And he begins to ask questions. 452 00:56:09,620 --> 00:56:12,200 Listen to his questions. 453 00:56:12,200 --> 00:56:16,540 For the Lord spurned forever and never again be favorable. 454 00:56:16,540 --> 00:56:19,020 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? 455 00:56:19,340 --> 00:56:21,680 Are his promises at an end for all time? 456 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:23,820 Has God forgotten to be gracious? 457 00:56:23,820 --> 00:56:27,260 Has he in anger shut up his compassion? 458 00:56:27,260 --> 00:56:31,840 And in these questions, we see both the depths of his despair, 459 00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:34,900 but also his commitment to seeking God. 460 00:56:34,900 --> 00:56:36,080 These are dark questions. 461 00:56:36,080 --> 00:56:39,920 Is God going to be angry at me? 462 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:42,080 So angry, he never speaks to me. 463 00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:46,380 Has his steadfast love stopped? 464 00:56:47,660 --> 00:56:50,540 Are his promises no longer valid? 465 00:56:50,540 --> 00:56:53,580 Has he forgotten how to be gracious? 466 00:56:53,580 --> 00:56:58,240 Has he in his anger shut up his compassion? 467 00:56:58,240 --> 00:57:05,980 These questions are not simply complaints or doubts about God's love and grace. 468 00:57:05,980 --> 00:57:13,840 And while this is how he feels, Asaph is also examining his heart. 469 00:57:14,380 --> 00:57:18,780 When he says, has his steadfast love forever ceased? 470 00:57:18,780 --> 00:57:21,820 What he is doing is he's speaking to his heart. 471 00:57:21,820 --> 00:57:27,260 In the same way, in the 42nd Psalm, David speaks to his heart. 472 00:57:27,260 --> 00:57:29,920 He says, why are you downcast, O my soul? 473 00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:36,860 And Asaph looks at his heart and goes, has God's love, has his steadfast love forever ceased? 474 00:57:36,860 --> 00:57:40,700 In my anguish and in my hurt and not seeing an answer to my prayer. 475 00:57:40,920 --> 00:57:42,320 Has God's love ceased? 476 00:57:42,320 --> 00:57:45,020 And his answer, surprisingly, is no. 477 00:57:45,020 --> 00:57:48,220 But it sure feels like it has. 478 00:57:48,220 --> 00:57:50,140 That's what he's saying. 479 00:57:50,140 --> 00:57:54,180 Because we see that this is not his intellectual belief, 480 00:57:54,180 --> 00:57:59,680 but this is what his heart feels like. 481 00:57:59,680 --> 00:58:03,160 And Asaph, in that last word, Selah, 482 00:58:03,160 --> 00:58:06,540 sits in the dark with his struggle. 483 00:58:06,540 --> 00:58:10,880 And he calls us to search for hope. 484 00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:14,320 in the dark of this struggle without sleep 485 00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:16,600 filled with sorrow, hurt and uncertainty 486 00:58:16,600 --> 00:58:19,760 he then turns toward the light 487 00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:22,120 of remembrance 488 00:58:22,120 --> 00:58:23,360 listen to these words 489 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:27,980 then I said I will appeal to this 490 00:58:27,980 --> 00:58:31,000 to the years of the right hand of the most high 491 00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:33,820 I will remember the deeds of the Lord 492 00:58:33,820 --> 00:58:37,420 yes I will remember the wonders of old 493 00:58:37,420 --> 00:58:40,820 and it's in this moment that everything begins to change 494 00:58:40,820 --> 00:58:45,680 not in his circumstances, but in his heart. 495 00:58:45,680 --> 00:58:52,560 I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. 496 00:58:52,560 --> 00:58:55,000 Your way, O God, is holy. 497 00:58:55,000 --> 00:58:57,620 What God is great like our God? 498 00:58:57,620 --> 00:58:59,320 You are the God who works wonders. 499 00:58:59,320 --> 00:59:03,120 You have made known your might among the peoples. 500 00:59:03,120 --> 00:59:08,100 You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. 501 00:59:08,100 --> 00:59:10,520 and then he pauses again 502 00:59:10,520 --> 00:59:12,440 Selah 503 00:59:12,440 --> 00:59:14,880 this is a 504 00:59:14,880 --> 00:59:16,860 dramatic change 505 00:59:16,860 --> 00:59:18,640 in the first 506 00:59:18,640 --> 00:59:20,420 11 verses of this psalm 507 00:59:20,420 --> 00:59:22,440 Asaph speaks mainly about himself 508 00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:24,740 he'll reference God but it's mainly 509 00:59:24,740 --> 00:59:26,620 I can't sleep, everything 510 00:59:26,620 --> 00:59:28,480 hurts, I'm running out of steam 511 00:59:28,480 --> 00:59:30,200 I have these questions 512 00:59:30,200 --> 00:59:32,660 where it feels like I'm all alone 513 00:59:32,660 --> 00:59:34,420 and it's very much focused 514 00:59:34,420 --> 00:59:36,340 on him and his situation 515 00:59:36,340 --> 00:59:45,660 And then, the difference between verse 12 and verse 13. 516 00:59:45,660 --> 00:59:48,240 I will ponder your works and meditate on your mighties. 517 00:59:48,240 --> 00:59:50,980 Then, your way, O God, is holy. 518 00:59:50,980 --> 00:59:53,140 What God is great like our God? 519 00:59:53,140 --> 00:59:54,360 You are the God. 520 00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:57,840 And it goes from I to you and to your. 521 00:59:57,840 --> 01:00:05,060 And you have this picture where he says at the end, sit with this for just a moment. 522 01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:08,440 Where I have sat in the darkness with my troubles. 523 01:00:08,440 --> 01:00:14,580 He says, now sit in the hope of God's greatness and redemption. 524 01:00:14,580 --> 01:00:16,340 Sit with me. 525 01:00:16,340 --> 01:00:20,560 He's not simply content to complain. 526 01:00:20,560 --> 01:00:23,000 Asaph searches for hope. 527 01:00:23,000 --> 01:00:27,680 And he says, remember this redemption. 528 01:00:27,680 --> 01:00:30,780 What I love is that he doesn't just say it. 529 01:00:30,780 --> 01:00:32,940 He does it. 530 01:00:33,900 --> 01:00:40,420 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid, and indeed the deep trembled. 531 01:00:40,420 --> 01:00:46,280 The clouds poured out the water, the skies gave forth thunder, your arrows flashed on every side. 532 01:00:46,280 --> 01:00:49,360 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind. 533 01:00:49,360 --> 01:00:53,780 Your lightning lighted up the world, the earth trembled and shook. 534 01:00:53,780 --> 01:00:59,580 Your way was through the sea, your path was through the great waters, yet your footprints were unseen. 535 01:01:00,820 --> 01:01:05,800 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 536 01:01:05,800 --> 01:01:09,560 And he then goes from just thinking about God's greatness 537 01:01:09,560 --> 01:01:15,440 to specific demonstrations of it that God has brought his people out of Egypt. 538 01:01:15,440 --> 01:01:17,860 He divided the Red Sea in half. 539 01:01:17,860 --> 01:01:20,840 He brings his people through the impossible obstacles. 540 01:01:20,840 --> 01:01:25,180 He defends them from their enemies with arrows and thunder. 541 01:01:25,180 --> 01:01:29,880 And he guides and protects his people. 542 01:01:29,980 --> 01:01:31,700 Look more closely at verse 19. 543 01:01:31,700 --> 01:01:34,440 Your way was through the sea. 544 01:01:34,440 --> 01:01:39,620 The greatest obstacle that God's people face as they leave Egypt. 545 01:01:39,620 --> 01:01:43,400 The ocean and the fear and the armies behind them. 546 01:01:43,400 --> 01:01:45,140 Your way was through the sea. 547 01:01:45,140 --> 01:01:49,480 Your path through the great waters that God walks through these. 548 01:01:49,480 --> 01:01:50,440 And look at what he says. 549 01:01:50,440 --> 01:01:53,660 Yet your footprints were unseen. 550 01:01:53,660 --> 01:01:57,780 The greatest obstacle, the greatest body of water 551 01:01:57,780 --> 01:02:00,960 is like God stepping over a creek 552 01:02:00,960 --> 01:02:02,700 or a small little river. 553 01:02:02,700 --> 01:02:05,420 But he says this, 554 01:02:05,420 --> 01:02:07,280 your footprints were unseen. 555 01:02:07,280 --> 01:02:09,720 We don't always know what God is doing. 556 01:02:09,720 --> 01:02:13,200 We don't always see his footprints. 557 01:02:13,200 --> 01:02:16,280 And God in this moment, 558 01:02:16,280 --> 01:02:17,540 we learn from the books of Exodus, 559 01:02:17,540 --> 01:02:19,240 the book of Exodus says to his people 560 01:02:19,240 --> 01:02:21,420 who are fearful with nowhere to run and to hide, 561 01:02:21,420 --> 01:02:24,580 he says, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. 562 01:02:24,580 --> 01:02:27,700 And then the wind blows and the water 563 01:02:27,700 --> 01:02:29,900 divides and the people walk through 564 01:02:29,900 --> 01:02:31,840 on dry land and God conquers their 565 01:02:31,840 --> 01:02:32,400 enemies. 566 01:02:32,400 --> 01:02:35,680 One of the things we see in this psalm is we 567 01:02:35,680 --> 01:02:37,800 don't always know the how of our 568 01:02:37,800 --> 01:02:40,020 salvation, but we know 569 01:02:40,020 --> 01:02:40,840 the who. 570 01:02:40,840 --> 01:02:43,940 Let's go back for just 571 01:02:43,940 --> 01:02:45,820 a moment to the gospel 572 01:02:45,820 --> 01:02:46,720 of Luke. 573 01:02:46,720 --> 01:02:50,020 Then he said to them, these are my words 574 01:02:50,020 --> 01:02:51,140 that I spoke to you 575 01:02:51,140 --> 01:02:53,700 while I was still with you that everything 576 01:02:53,700 --> 01:02:55,880 written about me in the law 577 01:02:55,880 --> 01:02:59,020 of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms 578 01:02:59,020 --> 01:03:01,060 must be fulfilled. 579 01:03:01,060 --> 01:03:03,100 Does this help us? 580 01:03:03,100 --> 01:03:06,260 As we look back to this Psalm 581 01:03:06,260 --> 01:03:10,260 and the suffering of this man who seeks for hope, 582 01:03:10,260 --> 01:03:15,320 we don't just see a call for us to seek hope in the darkness. 583 01:03:15,320 --> 01:03:18,460 We see at the cross, Jesus, 584 01:03:18,460 --> 01:03:21,160 whose soul refused to be comforted 585 01:03:21,160 --> 01:03:24,120 in anguish on our behalf 586 01:03:24,120 --> 01:03:26,600 because of his love for us. 587 01:03:26,600 --> 01:03:31,140 And at the cross, we see Jesus struggling to speak 588 01:03:31,140 --> 01:03:33,240 because of the pain and the suffering, 589 01:03:33,240 --> 01:03:37,020 not just of the physical burdens and punishment, 590 01:03:37,020 --> 01:03:39,200 but because the weight of our sin, 591 01:03:39,200 --> 01:03:42,020 and he endures it for his love. 592 01:03:42,020 --> 01:03:47,680 And at the cross, we see how God does turn his face away 593 01:03:47,680 --> 01:03:52,820 so that Jesus dies and our sins will be paid for 594 01:03:52,820 --> 01:03:54,540 because of his love for us. 595 01:03:54,540 --> 01:04:00,540 And at the cross, we remember that Jesus really did experience that silence 596 01:04:00,540 --> 01:04:04,820 so that you and I could experience the eternal love of God. 597 01:04:04,820 --> 01:04:09,240 How can I know God's love and redemption? 598 01:04:09,240 --> 01:04:17,240 Those questions are asked by Asaph in the middle of the darkness of this psalm, 599 01:04:17,240 --> 01:04:19,440 and they're answered also by Jesus. 600 01:04:20,400 --> 01:04:26,100 Because while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 601 01:04:26,100 --> 01:04:35,360 Therefore, and because of these things, I will remember the deeds of the Lord. 602 01:04:35,360 --> 01:04:38,400 Yes, I will remember your wonders of old. 603 01:04:38,400 --> 01:04:42,800 I will ponder all of your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. 604 01:04:42,800 --> 01:04:44,540 Your way, O God, is holy. 605 01:04:44,540 --> 01:04:49,540 What God is great like our God. 606 01:04:49,540 --> 01:04:52,780 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. 607 01:04:52,780 --> 01:04:55,640 His mercies never come to an end. 608 01:04:55,640 --> 01:04:57,560 They are new every morning. 609 01:04:57,560 --> 01:05:01,620 Great is your faithfulness. 610 01:05:01,620 --> 01:05:07,260 The remembrance of Asaph, the remembrance that we are called to, 611 01:05:07,260 --> 01:05:10,480 does not happen by accident. 612 01:05:10,480 --> 01:05:15,620 It must be an intentional decision on our part. 613 01:05:15,620 --> 01:05:18,360 Just like Joshua at the crossing of the Jordan. 614 01:05:19,540 --> 01:05:22,840 where he calls a man from each tribe to grab a stone. 615 01:05:22,840 --> 01:05:25,820 And he doesn't just make one monument, but two. 616 01:05:25,820 --> 01:05:29,300 They make one on one side of the river, 617 01:05:29,300 --> 01:05:31,500 and they make one on the other with the purpose 618 01:05:31,500 --> 01:05:35,840 that when your children ask what that weird pile of stones is, 619 01:05:35,840 --> 01:05:40,800 you tell them about how God has saved you. 620 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:44,440 They intentionally took and built a monument 621 01:05:44,440 --> 01:05:47,400 to remember how God had stopped the waters 622 01:05:47,400 --> 01:05:49,880 and brought them in to the promised land. 623 01:05:49,880 --> 01:05:53,900 Remembrance in our lives is the same way. 624 01:05:53,900 --> 01:05:56,360 Maybe not with a physical pile of rocks, 625 01:05:56,360 --> 01:05:58,860 but it must be intentional. 626 01:05:58,860 --> 01:06:03,460 And it does not happen by accident. 627 01:06:03,460 --> 01:06:05,880 Father in heaven, 628 01:06:05,880 --> 01:06:10,340 I thank you that in the darkness that you are there. 629 01:06:10,340 --> 01:06:14,580 And I thank you when it feels like in our hearts 630 01:06:14,580 --> 01:06:16,500 that we're all alone. 631 01:06:16,500 --> 01:06:19,740 And we know the reality is that you are near to us. 632 01:06:19,740 --> 01:06:24,560 We don't always see your steps ahead of us. 633 01:06:24,560 --> 01:06:31,100 But we know that you are the one who saves and redeems and guides your people. 634 01:06:31,100 --> 01:06:34,060 Help us to remember your goodness. 635 01:06:34,060 --> 01:06:35,680 Not just in this moment. 636 01:06:35,680 --> 01:06:42,140 But in the trials and struggles and the joys and triumphs of this week. 637 01:06:42,940 --> 01:06:45,480 You would help us to remember. 638 01:06:45,480 --> 01:06:48,320 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 639 01:06:48,320 --> 01:06:53,220 We're going to stand and we're going to sing Living Hope. 640 01:06:53,220 --> 01:07:13,420 How great the chasm that lay between us 641 01:07:13,420 --> 01:07:19,160 How high the mountain I could not climb 642 01:07:19,160 --> 01:07:26,480 In desperation, I turned to heaven 643 01:07:26,480 --> 01:07:32,240 And spoke your name into the night 644 01:07:32,240 --> 01:07:39,900 Then through the darkness, your loving kindness 645 01:07:39,900 --> 01:07:45,900 Tore through the shadows of my soul 646 01:07:45,900 --> 01:07:53,160 The work is finished, the end is written 647 01:07:53,160 --> 01:07:59,440 Jesus Christ, my living hope 648 01:07:59,440 --> 01:08:09,800 Who could imagine so great a mercy 649 01:08:09,800 --> 01:08:15,880 What heart could fathom such boundless grace 650 01:08:15,880 --> 01:08:19,740 The God of ages 651 01:08:19,740 --> 01:08:23,120 Step down from glory 652 01:08:23,120 --> 01:08:25,860 To bear my sin 653 01:08:25,860 --> 01:08:29,260 And bear my shame 654 01:08:29,260 --> 01:08:32,940 The cross has spoken 655 01:08:32,940 --> 01:08:36,240 I am forgiven 656 01:08:36,240 --> 01:08:42,600 The King of kings calls me his own 657 01:08:42,600 --> 01:08:49,580 Beautiful Savior, I'm yours forever 658 01:08:49,580 --> 01:08:55,880 Jesus Christ, my living hope 659 01:08:55,880 --> 01:09:04,080 Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free 660 01:09:04,080 --> 01:09:10,780 Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me 661 01:09:10,780 --> 01:09:14,160 You have broken every chain 662 01:09:14,160 --> 01:09:17,460 There's salvation in your name 663 01:09:17,460 --> 01:09:23,660 Jesus Christ, my living hope 664 01:09:23,660 --> 01:09:29,560 Then came the morning 665 01:09:29,560 --> 01:09:33,460 That sealed the promise 666 01:09:33,460 --> 01:09:39,380 Your buried body began to breathe 667 01:09:39,380 --> 01:09:43,360 Out of the silence 668 01:09:43,360 --> 01:09:46,420 The roaring lion 669 01:09:46,420 --> 01:09:49,180 Declared the grave 670 01:09:49,180 --> 01:09:52,580 Has no claim on me 671 01:09:52,580 --> 01:09:56,260 Then came the morning 672 01:09:56,260 --> 01:10:00,060 That sealed the promise 673 01:10:00,060 --> 01:10:03,080 Your buried body 674 01:10:03,080 --> 01:10:06,100 Began to breathe 675 01:10:06,100 --> 01:10:13,080 Out of the silence, the roaring lion 676 01:10:13,080 --> 01:10:19,460 Declared the grave has no claim on me 677 01:10:19,460 --> 01:10:25,520 Jesus, yours is the victory 678 01:10:25,520 --> 01:10:37,460 Alleluia, praise the one who set me free 679 01:10:37,460 --> 01:10:44,080 Alleluia, death has lost its grip on me 680 01:10:44,080 --> 01:10:47,500 You have broken every chain 681 01:10:47,500 --> 01:10:50,800 There's salvation in your name 682 01:10:50,800 --> 01:10:56,980 Jesus Christ, my living hope 683 01:10:56,980 --> 01:10:58,700 Hallelujah 684 01:10:58,700 --> 01:11:04,140 Praise the one who set me free 685 01:11:04,140 --> 01:11:05,440 Hallelujah 686 01:11:05,440 --> 01:11:10,740 Death has lost its grip on me 687 01:11:10,740 --> 01:11:14,140 You have broken every chain 688 01:11:14,140 --> 01:11:17,520 There's salvation in your name 689 01:11:17,520 --> 01:11:23,680 Jesus Christ, my living hope. 690 01:11:23,680 --> 01:11:30,180 Jesus Christ, my living hope. 691 01:11:30,180 --> 01:11:36,240 Oh, God, you are my living hope. 692 01:11:44,800 --> 01:11:50,420 Back here Wednesday night at 6 p.m. for our weekly Bible study. 693 01:11:50,420 --> 01:11:54,260 We're actually wrapping up the book of Colossians. 694 01:11:54,260 --> 01:11:58,660 And then back again next Sunday to worship together. 695 01:11:58,660 --> 01:12:00,460 I'm going to have a word of prayer. 696 01:12:00,460 --> 01:12:04,160 And then we'll read a verse of Scripture and sing the doxology. 697 01:12:04,160 --> 01:12:08,420 Father in heaven, I thank you for your grace and your goodness. 698 01:12:08,420 --> 01:12:13,520 I thank you for your people and the encouragement that you have given us through them. 699 01:12:13,520 --> 01:12:17,700 And I thank you so much for Jesus and the gospel. 700 01:12:17,700 --> 01:12:23,820 Help us to live understanding and knowing the grace that you have given to us. 701 01:12:23,820 --> 01:12:28,560 Let us live with courage, seeking those opportunities to share the gospel. 702 01:12:28,560 --> 01:12:31,180 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 703 01:12:31,180 --> 01:12:35,200 We read a little bit from Lamentations this morning, 704 01:12:35,200 --> 01:12:41,880 and the verses following directly after our Scripture reading at the beginning of service are this, 705 01:12:41,880 --> 01:12:47,240 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 706 01:12:47,240 --> 01:12:52,660 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 707 01:12:52,660 --> 01:13:06,360 Praise God from whom all blessings flow. 708 01:13:06,360 --> 01:13:11,480 Praise him, all creatures here below. 709 01:13:11,880 --> 01:13:17,280 Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts 710 01:13:17,280 --> 01:13:22,900 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 711 01:13:41,880 --> 01:14:11,860 Thank you. 712 01:14:11,880 --> 01:14:41,860 Thank you. 713 01:14:41,880 --> 01:15:11,860 Thank you.