It's that time again; time
for 3ABN's Sabbath School Panel.
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We are studying
the book of Psalms.
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Today's lesson is, Singing the
Lord's Song in a Strange Land.
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If you do not yet have your copy
of the adult Bible study guide,
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you can go to
3abnSabbathSchoolPanel.com
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and download a copy.
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Or go to your nearest
Seventh-day Adventist Church;
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they'll be happy to
provide you a copy, and you can
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study in their fellowship.
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Right now we're just glad
you're joining us, because
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it's our privilege to study
these lessons to share with you.
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We'll be back in just a moment.
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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We are so glad
you are joining us
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for 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Today we're on lesson
five, Singing the Lord's Song
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in a Strange Land.
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We're going to look at
how we can learn to praise
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in the midst of the
evil and the turmoil
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that's going on
even in our world today.
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Let me introduce my
brothers sitting at the table.
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We're so thankful
that each one of you
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have taken this time to study.
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Pastor John Dinzey,
so glad you're here.
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It's a blessing to be here.
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And it's a topic for
Monday that comes to everyone:
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At Death's Door.
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Yeah, wished it didn't.
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And then we
have Pastor Ryan Day.
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Amen, I have Tuesday's
lesson entitled, Where is God?
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And boy, that
question is asked quite a bit.
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Ah, one of our favorites,
Pastor James Rafferty.
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~ Good to be here, Shelley.
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I have Wednesday's
lesson which is entitled,
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Has His Promise
Failed Forevermore?
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Oh, we know the
answer to that though.
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And we have Professor
Daniel Perrin with us.
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Thank you. I've got
Thursday's lesson which is,
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Lest the Righteous be Tempted.
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How about you start us
off with a prayer, Daniel.
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Our loving heavenly
Father, it is with joy
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that we come to Your Word.
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We may not always feel it,
but Lord, You place it there.
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And we're thankful that
as we look at Your Word,
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You give us reason to have
hope, courage, and thankfulness.
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I ask Your blessing upon
all the comments that are made
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and all the study that
goes on from this lesson.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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~ Thank you so much.
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Lesson 5, our memory text is...
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...which says, "How
shall we sing the Lord's song
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in a strange land?"
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This is a rhetorical
question, but what's happening
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is Israel was very distressed.
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They were disheartened,
and they're lamenting
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because they are living
in Babylonian captivity.
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So you're going to find
they expressed bitter resentment
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against their enemy.
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Have you ever
uttered words like that?
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They're crying out that
God would judge these people
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and He would repay
them evil for evil.
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You know, that is a biblical
principle found in Obadiah 1:15.
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Let me read it.
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"For the day of the Lord
is near upon all nations.
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As you have done, it
shall be done to you;
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your dealings will
return upon your own head."
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So these people are
crying out for this.
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What we'll see, many of
the psalms are responding
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to God's presence.
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They feel it, they know it.
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But many psalms, the
psalmists are responding
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to their perceived
sense of God's absence.
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And they're
crying out, "Why, God?
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Where are you, God?
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How long, oh Lord?"
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How many of us have ever
asked these same questions?
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You know, it's interesting
that, aren't we happy
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when God is patient with us?
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When He shows us
loving kindness and mercy?
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He gives us time to...
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He graciously holds
back His judgment from us.
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He woos us by His love.
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And then He gives us time to
turn back to Him in repentance.
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Oh, aren't we thankful?
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But it's interesting,
you know, Romans 2:4 says
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it is the kindness of God
that leads us to repentance.
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Be thankful for that.
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But at the same time,
we're glad when God is extending
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His mercy to us.
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But how often do we cry out, and
when it comes to our enemies,
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"Strike them down, Lord, now."
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And that's the way humanity is.
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We will...
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If He doesn't work
in our time schedule,
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quite often what do we feel?
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God's not present.
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"The Lord is good to
all, and His tender mercies
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are over all His works."
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So let's look at Sunday.
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And we are so often...
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Sunday, we're going to turn
to, we'll begin with Psalm 74.
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This is called,
The Days of Evil.
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God created a
perfect environment;
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a garden of pleasure,
that's what Eden means,
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into which He brought Adam
and Eve when He created them.
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Now, something happened.
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Sin entered His
sphere of righteousness,
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and then there
was a proliferation
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of evil and suffering.
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And the psalmists feel
like they are in a strange land.
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They don't recognize this.
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So our question that
we're answering today is,
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how do we live by
faith in a strange land?
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I will read from the Amplified.
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The psalmist is
crying out for vindication.
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He's calling on
the Lord to remember
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the covenant made with Abraham.
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And in verse 22 he
says, "Arise, O God,
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plead Your own cause;
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earnestly remember how
the foolish and impious scoffs
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and reproaches You day
after day and all day long."
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Now let's look at Psalm
79, and we're going to look
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at verse 5, we'll
actually go to 5-13 in this one.
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So you may want to turn there.
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Psalm 79:5
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The psalmist
says, "How long, Lord?
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Will You be angry forever?
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Will Your
jealousy burn like fire?"
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You know, when we're
talking about God's jealousy,
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God will not endure
a divided allegiance.
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He is jealous for our benefit.
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He doesn't want us
turning after idols.
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And then he says, "Pour
out Your wrath on the nations
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that do not know
You, and on the kingdoms
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that do not call on Your name.
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For they have devoured Jacob,
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and laid waste to
his dwelling place."
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The psalmist is having
difficulty understanding the
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great controversy
between the God of heaven
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and the powers of evil.
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Haven't we all
felt like that before?
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He points to God's
infinite wisdom, His power,
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but he's questioning
God's self-restraint.
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It's kind of like, "Hey,
Your patience with the enemy
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is incapable of understanding."
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So he sees the enemy,
and the enemies invasion,
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as threatening God's divine
purpose for the covenant people.
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The people of Israel
were God's inheritance.
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Oh, they were proud of that.
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But the end-time dimension
has to be added in there.
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And that is, that God
planned for all believers
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from all nations to
become His inheritance.
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So let's look at verse 8.
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This is Psalm 79:8.
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The psalmist says,
"Oh, do not remember
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former iniquities against us."
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Now isn't that funny.
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He's just said, "Strike
down those guys that were here
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who were saying,
'Oh Lord, don't remember
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former iniquities against us.'"
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"Let Your tender mercies
come speedily to meet us,
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for we have been
brought very low."
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So at least he's acknowledging
the sins of the people.
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They had
corrupted their covenant
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relationship with the Lord.
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They were not
following His will.
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They brought all of these
consequences upon themselves.
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So he says in verse 9, "Help
us, O God of our salvation,
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help for the glory of Your name;
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and deliver us and
provide atonement for our sins,
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for Your name's sake."
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When he calls on
the God of salvation,
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the God of our salvation, this
is, he knows he is calling out
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on the faithfulness
of the covenant making,
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covenant keeping God.
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The people's
survival depended entirely
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upon God's intervention
in their circumstances,
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His restoration of the
covenant bond between them.
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How? Through the
atonement of sin.
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More important than the
restoration of Israel's fortunes
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though, to the psalmist, is
the defense of God's character
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throughout the world.
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You know, today if you
call yourself a Christian...
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We all call
ourselves Christians.
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...our sins, our backsliding,
our covenant breaking,
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brings the same
shame and dishonor on God
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as did theirs.
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Many people have turned
away from faith in Christ Jesus
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because of what
they see Christians do,
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the wrong actions of those
who profess to be Christians.
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I love this from, The
Desire of Ages, page 671,
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Ellen White says,
"The honor of God,
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the honor of Christ, is
involved in the perfection
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of the character of His people."
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We've got to remember,
we might be the only letter
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from Christ that
anybody ever reads.
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And if we are acting
wrong, we are casting aspersions
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on His character.
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So verse 10 goes on and
says, "Why should the nations
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say, 'Where is their God?'
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Let there be known
among the nations in our sight
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the avenging of the
blood of Your servants
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which has been shed."
00:12:58.64\00:13:00.71
So he's thinking that if
these sins go unpunished,
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that God's name, the
nations are going to think
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God is powerless,
and that He doesn't care.
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So then he goes on in
verses 11 and he says,
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"Let the groaning of
the prisoner come to You;
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according to the
greatness of Your power
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preserve those who
are appointed to die;
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and return to our neighbors
sevenfold in their bosom
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the reproach with which they
have reproached You, O Lord.
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So we, Your people
and sheep of Your pasture,
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will give You thanks forever.
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We will show forth Your
praise to all generations."
00:13:42.38\00:13:47.42
So we see how
conflicted the psalmist is.
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He wants mercy for
them, but he wants God
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to judge them now and
to save His reputation.
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Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:14:00.84\00:14:02.40
Well we now are
on Monday's portion.
00:14:03.14\00:14:05.91
And my name is John Dinzey.
00:14:05.94\00:14:07.38
And the title for this
lesson is, At Death's Door.
00:14:07.41\00:14:11.75
I remember when
about 4 or 5 years old,
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I don't remember the exact
age, but I woke up and everyone
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in the house was
weeping and weeping.
00:14:19.39\00:14:21.49
And I did not understand.
00:14:21.86\00:14:23.36
I had to ask, "Why
is everyone weeping?"
00:14:23.69\00:14:26.39
And they said a name
of a member of the family
00:14:26.76\00:14:29.86
that I had not met yet,
and everyone was weeping.
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.53
I did not understand what death
was, but I knew it was something
00:14:32.57\00:14:37.14
that was terrible.
00:14:37.17\00:14:38.71
I also began to weep
because of the sorrow
00:14:39.17\00:14:42.64
the family was experiencing.
00:14:42.68\00:14:44.15
Death is an enemy.
00:14:44.18\00:14:46.05
And everyone on this planet
earth will have to face it
00:14:46.35\00:14:50.19
at one point or another,
either because of a friend
00:14:50.22\00:14:53.86
or family, or even
eventually yourself
00:14:53.89\00:14:56.83
if the Lord
Jesus Christ tarries.
00:14:56.86\00:14:59.26
This day of Monday
takes us at death's door.
00:15:00.23\00:15:04.93
How God's people experience
this time of difficulty.
00:15:05.13\00:15:10.01
We begin with Psalm 41:1,
"Blessed is he who considers
00:15:10.21\00:15:15.54
the poor; the Lord will
deliver him in time of trouble."
00:15:15.64\00:15:20.25
So there's benefit in
being kind to the poor.
00:15:20.58\00:15:24.65
Verse 2, "The Lord will
preserve him and keep him alive,
00:15:24.69\00:15:29.22
and he will be
blessed on the earth;
00:15:29.42\00:15:31.83
You will not deliver him
to the will of his enemies."
00:15:31.86\00:15:35.73
So as we move through
this Psalm 41, we see that
00:15:36.23\00:15:40.24
the Lord blesses
those that are faithful,
00:15:40.27\00:15:42.57
blesses those
that consider others.
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I'd like to point out Psalm
105, three verses that help us
00:15:45.04\00:15:49.24
understand that the Lord
delivers us from things that
00:15:49.28\00:15:52.61
we may not even know.
00:15:52.65\00:15:54.62
Let's look at verse 13.
00:15:55.12\00:15:56.45
"When they went from
one nation to another..."
00:15:56.48\00:15:59.55
That's the people of Israel.
00:15:59.59\00:16:00.92
"...from one
kingdom to another people,
00:16:00.96\00:16:03.22
He permitted no
one to do them wrong;
00:16:03.43\00:16:07.00
yes, He rebuked
kings for their sakes,
00:16:07.03\00:16:10.63
saying, 'Do not
touch My anointed ones,
00:16:10.67\00:16:14.24
and do My prophets no harm.'"
00:16:14.27\00:16:16.67
We do not know
from how many things
00:16:17.04\00:16:20.21
the Lord has saved us from.
00:16:20.24\00:16:22.64
Because we know that there's a
devil and he wants to do us harm
00:16:23.04\00:16:26.25
each and every day.
00:16:26.58\00:16:27.92
God has protected us
from untold number of things.
00:16:28.28\00:16:32.49
So we should be grateful
to the Lord for each day
00:16:32.52\00:16:37.53
that we are kept
alive by the Lord.
00:16:37.56\00:16:39.56
Psalm 41:3, "Now the
Lord will strengthen him
00:16:39.83\00:16:43.20
on his bed of illness; You will
sustain him on his sickbed."
00:16:43.23\00:16:47.54
So here we have a
promise that we can look at
00:16:47.57\00:16:51.01
and say, wow, even
in the time of sickness,
00:16:51.04\00:16:54.51
because of one reason
or another we become sick,
00:16:54.54\00:16:58.45
the Lord will be with us.
00:16:58.81\00:17:01.02
He will strengthen us
even in those difficult times.
00:17:01.05\00:17:04.19
It could be worse than it
actually is because the Lord
00:17:04.65\00:17:10.73
is strengthening us.
00:17:10.76\00:17:12.09
"I said, 'Lord,
be merciful to me;
00:17:12.19\00:17:14.40
heal my soul, for I
have sinned against You.'"
00:17:14.43\00:17:17.23
Here we have in this psalm the
expression of someone that is
00:17:17.27\00:17:20.40
going through death's door.
00:17:20.44\00:17:23.30
And he is calling out
for the Lord to heal him.
00:17:23.41\00:17:26.51
You know, we will all have
to face some kind of trouble,
00:17:27.08\00:17:29.64
and death is one of the, of
course, worse things to face.
00:17:29.68\00:17:33.55
We will have to face
life threatening sickness.
00:17:34.12\00:17:37.02
In Psalm 88:1 we
have these words:
00:17:38.05\00:17:40.86
"O Lord, God of my salvation,
00:17:40.89\00:17:42.59
I have cried out day
and night before You.
00:17:42.62\00:17:45.66
Let my prayer come before You;
incline Your ear to my cry."
00:17:45.93\00:17:50.97
You know, some
people are looking at death
00:17:51.73\00:17:56.40
at a moment that they
feel they're not prepared.
00:17:56.44\00:17:59.14
And they may cry out to
the Lord, "Heal me, Lord."
00:17:59.44\00:18:01.98
It may be that the Lord will
heal them, but it may be that
00:18:02.58\00:18:05.21
the time for
them to rest has come.
00:18:05.68\00:18:08.18
And we should understand that
God is our God of salvation,
00:18:08.58\00:18:13.12
we should place
ourselves in His hands,
00:18:13.52\00:18:16.19
because we do not know
if the Lord will deliver us.
00:18:16.52\00:18:18.89
We must look at the death
as it appears to be coming
00:18:19.33\00:18:24.47
as a point in time that we
should make peace with the Lord.
00:18:25.00\00:18:28.47
Make sure that we
are in complete harmony,
00:18:28.50\00:18:30.84
confess your sins
before Him, and ask the Lord
00:18:30.87\00:18:33.84
to extend mercy to you.
00:18:33.88\00:18:35.51
Psalm 88:3, "For my
soul is full of troubles,
00:18:35.54\00:18:39.98
and my life draws
near to the grave.
00:18:40.42\00:18:43.59
I am counted with
those who go down to the pit;
00:18:43.79\00:18:46.29
I am like a man
who has no strength,
00:18:46.32\00:18:49.16
adrift among the dead, like
the slain who lie in the grave,
00:18:49.36\00:18:53.66
whom you remember no more, and
who are cut off from Your hand."
00:18:53.70\00:18:57.70
And so, we have here the
expression, somebody, you know,
00:18:58.70\00:19:02.57
the psalmist is
expressing the time of trouble
00:19:02.97\00:19:05.71
that he's going through.
00:19:05.74\00:19:07.08
And he sees, understands
that death is drawing near.
00:19:07.11\00:19:11.25
And of course, you know,
those can be desperate times,
00:19:11.91\00:19:15.98
desperate times.
00:19:16.02\00:19:17.35
So we have to understand
that God loves us so much,
00:19:17.52\00:19:21.66
even in this difficult time.
00:19:21.69\00:19:23.43
Hang on to Him.
00:19:23.73\00:19:25.59
It says in verse 6, "You
have laid me in the lowest pit,
00:19:25.89\00:19:29.46
in darkness and in the depths.
00:19:29.50\00:19:31.03
Your wrath lies heavy upon
me, and You have afflicted me
00:19:31.07\00:19:34.40
with all Your waves. Selah."
00:19:34.44\00:19:37.27
This is a musical
rest, as I understand it.
00:19:37.31\00:19:39.57
And this was a
song that was sung,
00:19:40.04\00:19:44.01
and can still be sung today.
00:19:44.55\00:19:47.18
Understanding that it
is a time of confusion
00:19:47.48\00:19:50.32
when we come to the
moment of darkness appearing,
00:19:50.65\00:19:54.36
that we are about to
breathe our last breath.
00:19:54.39\00:19:57.96
Notice verse 8, "You
have put away my acquaintances
00:19:59.33\00:20:02.00
far from me; You have
made me an abomination to them;
00:20:02.03\00:20:04.97
I am shut up,
and I cannot get out;
00:20:05.00\00:20:07.34
my eye wastes away
because of affliction.
00:20:07.64\00:20:10.67
Lord, I have
called daily upon You;
00:20:10.71\00:20:13.58
I have stretched
out my hands to You.
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.48
Will You work
wonders for the dead?
00:20:15.84\00:20:18.21
Shall the dead arise
and praise You? Selah."
00:20:18.25\00:20:21.75
So again, we have here the
moment that person is thinking,
00:20:22.12\00:20:28.06
"I'm going to die.
Lord, don't let me die.
00:20:28.09\00:20:31.36
The dead don't praise You.
00:20:31.56\00:20:32.89
Let me be alive so
that I can praise You."
00:20:32.93\00:20:35.40
And this may be the
experience of some people
00:20:35.63\00:20:37.57
that are not ready to rest.
00:20:37.60\00:20:39.80
"Shall Your loving kindness
be declared in the grave?
00:20:41.44\00:20:44.27
Or Your faithfulness in
the place of destruction?
00:20:44.31\00:20:46.81
Shall Your wonders
be known in the dark?
00:20:46.84\00:20:49.24
And Your righteousness in
the land of forgetfulness?"
00:20:49.44\00:20:53.65
You know, we have
all seen someone die
00:20:54.42\00:20:59.32
at one point or
another in our lives.
00:20:59.92\00:21:01.76
And I've seen some
people that are ready to rest.
00:21:02.02\00:21:04.96
They have made
their peace with the Lord.
00:21:05.36\00:21:07.66
They are at peace
with the understanding that
00:21:07.86\00:21:10.97
their time to pass away has
come, and they are at peace.
00:21:11.00\00:21:15.47
And I've seen some
people desperate, and they are,
00:21:15.77\00:21:18.84
they want to continue living.
00:21:20.04\00:21:21.84
But we do not know.
00:21:22.18\00:21:23.51
We're not even
promised one second
00:21:23.71\00:21:25.98
beyond this second of life.
00:21:26.01\00:21:28.35
And we should be grateful for
every moment that we are alive.
00:21:28.62\00:21:31.35
So, this is one verse
that is of great encouragement
00:21:31.55\00:21:35.49
to me, and I hope it is to you.
00:21:35.52\00:21:36.93
I will begin to quote it,
00:21:37.29\00:21:38.63
and some of you
may be able to finish.
00:21:38.66\00:21:40.26
"And we know that all
things work together for good
00:21:40.76\00:21:44.90
to those who love God,
to those who are the called
00:21:44.93\00:21:48.07
according to His purpose."
00:21:48.10\00:21:49.64
Even in the moment of darkness
and approaching of death,
00:21:49.84\00:21:53.61
it may be that it
is for your benefit.
00:21:53.98\00:21:56.68
Because you may not know, you
don't know what may lie ahead.
00:21:57.08\00:22:00.75
And the Lord in His mercy
may be laying you to rest.
00:22:01.18\00:22:05.49
We do not know.
00:22:06.15\00:22:07.49
We should commit ourselves
to the Lord so that if that
00:22:08.06\00:22:10.53
moments comes, we will be ready.
00:22:10.56\00:22:12.69
Psalm 102, we're going
to read a few verses here.
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.40
Beginning actually in verse 1.
00:22:17.10\00:22:20.10
"Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and let my cry come to You.
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.90
Do not hide Your face from
me in the day of my trouble;
00:22:22.94\00:22:26.27
incline Your ear to
me; in the day that I call,
00:22:26.31\00:22:30.81
answer me speedily.
00:22:30.85\00:22:32.25
For my days are
consumed like smoke,
00:22:32.28\00:22:34.28
and my bones are
burned like a hearth.
00:22:34.32\00:22:37.42
My heart is stricken
and withered like grass,
00:22:39.02\00:22:41.66
so that I forget to eat bread.
00:22:41.69\00:22:44.73
Because of the
sound of my groaning
00:22:44.76\00:22:46.76
my bones cling to my skin."
00:22:46.80\00:22:49.06
This is a
trying, difficult moment.
00:22:49.86\00:22:53.60
And this is a
moment to be completely
00:22:53.90\00:22:56.84
in the hands of the Lord.
00:22:56.87\00:22:58.71
I have to jump over
here now to Psalm 102.
00:22:59.37\00:23:04.71
Let's begin in verse 9.
00:23:05.55\00:23:06.88
"For I have
eaten ashes like bread,
00:23:07.58\00:23:09.42
and mingled my
drink with weeping.
00:23:09.45\00:23:11.79
because of Your
indignation and Your wrath;
00:23:11.82\00:23:13.96
for You have lifted
me up and cast me away.
00:23:13.99\00:23:16.83
My days are like a
shadow that lengthens,
00:23:16.86\00:23:19.63
and I wither away like grass.
00:23:19.66\00:23:22.36
You know, we are living
in a world, because of sin
00:23:22.76\00:23:27.34
death has to come to our
life in one way or another.
00:23:27.37\00:23:32.11
And I want to encourage
you to once again, put yourself
00:23:33.04\00:23:37.15
in the hands of the Lord.
00:23:37.18\00:23:39.11
Because He loves you,
gave His Son to die for you.
00:23:39.55\00:23:44.85
And if you are seeing a moment
that death is approaching,
00:23:45.19\00:23:49.49
you must remember that this
may not be your final moment.
00:23:49.76\00:23:54.36
Because Jesus
promises eternal life.
00:23:54.90\00:23:57.37
So I encourage
you to place yourself
00:23:58.43\00:24:00.74
in the hands of the Lord.
00:24:00.77\00:24:02.10
Whatever sickness you may have,
whatever weakness you may have,
00:24:02.14\00:24:04.91
it will all be eliminated
if you happen to pass away.
00:24:05.24\00:24:09.11
And you can rejoice in
the first resurrection, that
00:24:09.64\00:24:12.38
this mortal shall
put on immortality.
00:24:12.58\00:24:16.38
Trust in the Lord
with all your heart.
00:24:16.92\00:24:19.32
~ Amen and amen.
00:24:19.35\00:24:20.76
~ We are going to take a quick
break and we'll be right back.
00:24:20.79\00:24:24.19
Ever wish you could study
more deeply along with the
00:24:28.00\00:24:30.60
3ABN Sabbath
School Panel members?
00:24:30.63\00:24:32.60
Well, now you can.
00:24:32.63\00:24:34.14
Just send an email
request to ssp@3abn.org
00:24:34.34\00:24:38.31
and we'll email you the
Sabbath School panelists notes
00:24:38.37\00:24:41.01
on a weekly basis to enhance
your own study of God's Word.
00:24:41.04\00:24:44.51
That address again is...
00:24:44.55\00:24:45.88
We'd love to send you the notes
just as they prepared them.
00:24:48.28\00:24:51.25
Thank you for watching.
00:24:51.35\00:24:52.69
I want to mention to
you that we are now making
00:24:58.99\00:25:03.90
the panelist
notes available to you.
00:25:04.00\00:25:07.24
Some are going
to be great notes,
00:25:07.27\00:25:08.60
some are going to
be skimpier notes.
00:25:08.64\00:25:10.24
But everything that's
addressed on this panel,
00:25:10.27\00:25:13.51
and there's a lot
that we don't get to,
00:25:13.54\00:25:16.31
but they'll still be on our
notes, you can email us at...
00:25:16.34\00:25:20.15
...and get those notes.
00:25:28.96\00:25:30.53
Now we go on to
Tuesday's lesson, Ryan Day.
00:25:30.56\00:25:34.46
I'm Ryan Day, I
have Tuesday's lesson.
00:25:35.90\00:25:38.60
And my notes will probably fall
under the skimpier category.
00:25:38.63\00:25:41.80
But nonetheless,
they will be there.
00:25:41.84\00:25:44.41
And I hope that
they bless someone.
00:25:44.44\00:25:45.94
I have Tuesday's
lesson entitled, Where Is God?
00:25:46.94\00:25:51.55
And of course, it's
still continuing on this theme
00:25:51.58\00:25:54.52
that we have seen
through Sunday's lesson
00:25:54.55\00:25:56.58
and Monday's lesson.
00:25:56.62\00:25:57.95
And the question that the
lesson is opening up with is,
00:25:57.99\00:26:02.32
what causes great
pain to the psalmist?
00:26:02.36\00:26:04.59
And we're going to
start in Psalm chapter 42
00:26:04.69\00:26:07.13
and we're going
to read verses 1-3.
00:26:07.16\00:26:08.50
You'll find some of these
psalms we have already read.
00:26:08.53\00:26:11.73
For instance, I'm going to be
also dipping into Psalm 102:1-7,
00:26:12.17\00:26:15.80
which apparently I think
Pastor Dinzey had as well.
00:26:16.34\00:26:18.71
But we'll focusing our attention
just now going a little deeper
00:26:19.47\00:26:22.88
into what is it that
they're pained about?
00:26:22.91\00:26:25.48
And then, what was the response?
00:26:25.51\00:26:27.25
And that we should glean
some lessons from this ourself
00:26:27.28\00:26:29.98
as to when we're going
through these dark, despairing,
00:26:30.02\00:26:32.82
difficult, and trying times,
what should our response be?
00:26:32.95\00:26:36.66
And these opening words
00:26:39.69\00:26:41.20
are going to
definitely sound familiar.
00:26:41.23\00:26:42.66
It says, "As the deer
pants for the water brooks,
00:26:42.70\00:26:45.37
so pants my soul for You, O God.
00:26:45.40\00:26:48.97
My soul thirsts for
God, for the living God.
00:26:49.30\00:26:52.77
When shall I come
and appear before God?"
00:26:53.14\00:26:55.94
I just want to back up
and just highlight this.
00:26:55.98\00:26:57.81
When it says therein
the beginning of verse 2,
00:26:57.85\00:26:59.28
"My soul thirsts for
God, for the living God."
00:26:59.31\00:27:02.85
You can sense this
person's agony, this person's,
00:27:02.88\00:27:06.45
just the deep sorrow
that they're going through.
00:27:07.32\00:27:10.23
Because you can just
hear it in their voice, like,
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.36
"You know what, I need a living
God to show up for me right now.
00:27:12.39\00:27:16.53
I don't need some silent God,
I don't need some distant God.
00:27:16.56\00:27:20.37
I need the living God to
show up right now in my life."
00:27:20.40\00:27:23.51
Have you ever been there?
00:27:23.54\00:27:24.87
I know I've been
there a few times.
00:27:24.91\00:27:26.24
Lord, it seems like sometimes
we receive silence in moments
00:27:26.27\00:27:30.15
when we really
need God to show up.
00:27:30.18\00:27:31.95
But it's not that
God is ignoring us.
00:27:31.98\00:27:33.48
It's not that
God is so far away.
00:27:33.52\00:27:35.95
Sometimes, as we have learned,
and as we will probably restate
00:27:35.98\00:27:38.69
this over and over, we
fall into various trials
00:27:38.72\00:27:42.02
because God allows us to.
00:27:42.06\00:27:43.99
And sometimes He will
remain silent on purpose because
00:27:44.03\00:27:48.63
He's teaching us.
00:27:48.66\00:27:50.00
He's teaching us endurance,
He's teaching us patience.
00:27:50.03\00:27:52.67
There's something that we must
go through in order to grow.
00:27:53.13\00:27:56.64
And yes, in the moment
we kick and scream and fight
00:27:56.74\00:27:59.24
because we don't like what
it is that we're experiencing.
00:27:59.27\00:28:01.64
And clearly, not to make
light of it, but the psalmist
00:28:01.74\00:28:05.71
is in that state, a very
deep, dark, despairing state.
00:28:05.75\00:28:09.48
So much that, "You know what?
00:28:09.52\00:28:10.85
I need a living God
to show up right now."
00:28:10.89\00:28:13.32
Verse 3 in Psalm 42, "My tears
have been my food day and night,
00:28:13.52\00:28:18.93
while they continually say
to me, 'Where is your God?'"
00:28:18.96\00:28:23.57
And so, I know I
have been here many times.
00:28:23.60\00:28:25.47
I have found myself
a few times in my life
00:28:25.50\00:28:28.20
where I've been in very,
very difficult situations.
00:28:28.37\00:28:30.91
And it's like,
"Lord, where are You?
00:28:30.94\00:28:32.27
Do You hear me? Do You care?"
00:28:32.31\00:28:33.94
In our humanity sometimes
we can have those emotions,
00:28:33.98\00:28:36.54
we can have those feelings,
we can express them even.
00:28:36.64\00:28:39.48
There's times I
even call out to God,
00:28:39.51\00:28:41.18
and I almost seem
borderline blasphemist to even
00:28:41.22\00:28:44.02
speak to Him in that way.
00:28:44.05\00:28:45.39
But I find myself
going, "God, where are You?
00:28:45.42\00:28:47.12
Do You even
hear me? Do you care?
00:28:47.16\00:28:48.49
Have I done something
to drive You so far away?
00:28:48.52\00:28:51.59
Lord, please, hear my
cry. Hear my call, Lord.
00:28:51.63\00:28:54.63
Answer this
prayer in time of need."
00:28:54.66\00:28:56.63
This is especially what
is going through the mind
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.40
and heart of the
psalmist at this moment.
00:28:59.43\00:29:01.27
We're going to
jump over to Psalm 63:1.
00:29:01.47\00:29:04.94
And again, this same
mentality, this same experience.
00:29:06.07\00:29:10.01
It says in Psalm 63:1,
"O God, You are my God;
00:29:10.05\00:29:13.52
early will I seek You;
my soul thirsts for You;
00:29:13.55\00:29:17.09
my flesh longs for You
in a dry and thirsty land
00:29:17.12\00:29:21.42
where there is no water."
00:29:21.46\00:29:23.09
So this person is going through
00:29:23.12\00:29:24.89
a desert of a
situation in their life.
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.90
They're going through a
moment where they're saying,
00:29:26.93\00:29:28.66
"God, I need the nourishment,
I need You to quench my thirst.
00:29:28.70\00:29:31.43
I need You to show up and let
me know that You're still there,
00:29:31.47\00:29:34.87
that You care."
00:29:34.90\00:29:36.24
And of course, we read a
few of these verses earlier.
00:29:36.27\00:29:38.07
It says, "Hear
my prayer, O Lord,
00:29:40.51\00:29:42.61
and let my cry come to You.
00:29:42.64\00:29:44.85
Do not hide Your face from
me in the day of my trouble;
00:29:44.88\00:29:47.52
incline Your ear to me;
00:29:47.55\00:29:49.15
in the day that I call
You, answer me speedily."
00:29:49.18\00:29:52.39
And I love the
humanity here coming out.
00:29:52.42\00:29:54.72
Because when we're
going through these trials,
00:29:54.76\00:29:57.66
we want answers now.
00:29:57.69\00:29:59.66
Not tomorrow, not the next
day, not 10 minutes from now.
00:29:59.69\00:30:02.80
"Lord, I need You now.
00:30:02.83\00:30:04.27
I need You to show up and
bring deliverance in my life
00:30:04.30\00:30:07.70
at this very moment."
00:30:07.74\00:30:09.07
You sense this coming
from the psalmists heart here
00:30:09.10\00:30:11.01
as he clearly says,
"Answer me speedily.
00:30:11.04\00:30:14.21
Right now, Lord."
00:30:14.24\00:30:15.58
It goes on to say, "For my
days are consumed like smoke,
00:30:15.61\00:30:18.25
and my bones are
burned like a hearth.
00:30:18.28\00:30:20.45
My heart is stricken
and withered like grass,
00:30:20.48\00:30:22.68
so that I forget
to eat my bread."
00:30:22.72\00:30:24.82
This person is so distressed and
so oppressed in this situation
00:30:24.85\00:30:28.62
that they feel, they're not even
00:30:28.66\00:30:31.13
being reminded
that they need to eat.
00:30:31.16\00:30:32.49
I've been in a
situation like this before.
00:30:32.53\00:30:34.03
I went days
without eating not even...
00:30:34.23\00:30:36.06
Because I had no appetite.
00:30:36.10\00:30:37.43
Because of what I was
going through in my life.
00:30:37.47\00:30:39.63
And that's essentially
what this psalmist is
00:30:39.67\00:30:41.10
going through as well.
00:30:41.14\00:30:42.47
It goes on to say, "My heart is
stricken and withered like grass
00:30:42.50\00:30:44.64
that I forget to eat my bread."
00:30:44.67\00:30:46.04
Verse 5, "Because of
the sound of my groaning
00:30:46.07\00:30:48.64
my bones cling to my skin."
00:30:48.68\00:30:50.35
They've lost a
little bit of weight.
00:30:50.38\00:30:51.71
They're going
through some stuff.
00:30:51.75\00:30:53.21
"I am like a
pelican in the wilderness;
00:30:53.65\00:30:56.55
I am like an owl of the desert.
00:30:56.58\00:30:58.62
I lie awake, and am like a
sparrow alone on the housetop."
00:30:58.65\00:31:04.16
And the lesson brings
out, from what we've just read,
00:31:04.19\00:31:07.23
especially from Psalm 102 here,
the lesson brings out and says
00:31:07.26\00:31:10.50
the mention of
wilderness highlights
00:31:10.53\00:31:12.47
the sense of isolate from God.
00:31:12.50\00:31:14.24
Have you ever
felt isolated from God?
00:31:14.27\00:31:16.10
I know I have.
00:31:16.60\00:31:17.94
Not that it's God's fault.
00:31:17.97\00:31:19.31
Not that God purposefully
or even at any moment
00:31:19.34\00:31:21.81
isolates Himself from you.
00:31:21.84\00:31:23.35
But certainly, I have felt
that way because of whatever
00:31:23.38\00:31:26.31
situation or whatever particular
situation I was dealing with
00:31:26.35\00:31:30.52
in my life, I've
certainly felt those feelings.
00:31:30.55\00:31:33.12
A bird alone on a
housetop is outside of its nest,
00:31:33.15\00:31:37.16
its resting place.
00:31:37.19\00:31:38.53
The psalmist cries to
God out of the depths,
00:31:38.56\00:31:40.73
as if being
engulfed by the mighty waters
00:31:40.76\00:31:43.83
sinking into a deep mire.
00:31:43.87\00:31:46.20
These images depict
an oppressive situation
00:31:46.70\00:31:49.64
from which there is no escape,
00:31:49.67\00:31:51.67
except by, of
course, divine intervention.
00:31:51.71\00:31:54.91
We've all been
there, we've experienced it.
00:31:54.94\00:31:56.28
If you haven't, if you're
watching and you're saying,
00:31:56.31\00:31:57.88
"Well, I can't
relate to this, Ryan.
00:31:57.91\00:31:59.41
I've never really went
through anything like that."
00:31:59.45\00:32:01.88
As you grow in God, you will.
00:32:01.92\00:32:03.39
It's going to come,
it's going to happen.
00:32:03.42\00:32:04.99
These are moments in time
in which we will experience
00:32:05.65\00:32:08.29
at some point in
our walk with the Lord.
00:32:08.32\00:32:11.29
And of course, the
lesson goes on to ask,
00:32:11.33\00:32:13.03
how does the psalmist respond
to God's apparent absence?
00:32:13.06\00:32:16.67
And love Psalm 10:12.
00:32:16.90\00:32:19.07
When you find these
psalmists often finding
00:32:19.10\00:32:22.00
themselves or expressing how
they're in these deep moments
00:32:22.04\00:32:25.21
of despair and
difficulty and challenge,
00:32:25.24\00:32:27.84
you also find their amazing
response to the difficulties
00:32:27.88\00:32:31.38
and challenges that
they have experienced.
00:32:31.41\00:32:33.58
Psalm 10:12, "Arise, O
Lord! O God, lift up Your hand!
00:32:33.62\00:32:37.49
Do not forget the humble."
00:32:37.52\00:32:39.39
They're quick to
remind God of His promises.
00:32:39.42\00:32:41.56
"Lord, You've
promised that if I'm humble,
00:32:41.59\00:32:43.63
if I live a life of humility,
if I put my hand in Your hand,
00:32:43.66\00:32:47.33
You will hear me."
00:32:47.36\00:32:48.70
God wants you to
remind Him of His promises.
00:32:48.73\00:32:50.97
And I know I do often.
"Lord, You promised this."
00:32:51.00\00:32:53.23
I hold God to His promise.
00:32:53.27\00:32:54.60
Because the Bible says
He cannot and will not lie.
00:32:54.64\00:32:57.61
Psalm 22:1, "My God, My
God, why have You forsaken Me?
00:32:57.64\00:33:00.68
Why are You so
far from helping Me,
00:33:00.71\00:33:02.68
and from the
words of My groaning?"
00:33:02.71\00:33:04.21
Sometimes it may seem as
we're reading this, like, man!
00:33:04.25\00:33:07.32
But God is not
far from you at all.
00:33:08.48\00:33:10.52
God hasn't forsaken you at all.
00:33:10.62\00:33:12.19
Why is this person
speaking like this?
00:33:12.22\00:33:14.86
Well, that's because
in our humanity, sometimes
00:33:14.89\00:33:17.49
we find ourselves completely...
00:33:17.53\00:33:19.59
We want to be
transparent with God.
00:33:19.63\00:33:21.00
"Lord, this is how I feel.
00:33:21.03\00:33:22.36
I can't help it;
I'm going through this.
00:33:22.40\00:33:23.87
This is what I'm going through.
00:33:23.90\00:33:25.23
But I need You,
Lord, to show up.
00:33:25.27\00:33:27.37
And I need You to hear me."
00:33:27.40\00:33:29.34
Psalm 27:9, "Do not
hide Your face from me;
00:33:29.64\00:33:32.21
do not turn Your
servant away in anger;
00:33:32.41\00:33:35.44
You have been my help;
00:33:35.84\00:33:37.41
do not leave me nor forsake
me, O God of my salvation."
00:33:37.45\00:33:40.95
So what's the response?
00:33:40.98\00:33:42.38
"Lord, I'm holding You to it.
00:33:42.42\00:33:44.12
I'm still looking
forward to You showing up
00:33:44.15\00:33:46.89
and being my God and
coming through for me
00:33:46.92\00:33:49.42
during this time of trouble."
00:33:49.46\00:33:51.19
Psalm 39:12, "Hear my prayer,
O Lord, and give ear to my cry;
00:33:51.39\00:33:55.33
do not be silent at my tears;
for I am a stranger with You,
00:33:55.36\00:33:58.60
a sojourner, as
all my fathers were."
00:33:58.63\00:34:02.30
And so, the lesson brings out
the occasions of God's silence
00:34:02.34\00:34:05.54
caused the psalmist
to examine themselves
00:34:05.74\00:34:08.14
and to go seek God.
00:34:08.18\00:34:10.35
Do you know God sometimes
will allow you to go through
00:34:10.38\00:34:12.81
that pit, to slide into
that dark pit, to go through
00:34:12.91\00:34:18.89
that time of trouble, to
go through that challenge
00:34:18.92\00:34:21.09
because maybe He wants
you to examine yourself.
00:34:21.12\00:34:23.56
Maybe there's something He's
trying to get to in your life.
00:34:23.59\00:34:26.76
And that's what the
lesson is bringing out here.
00:34:26.86\00:34:28.70
It says but with
confession and humble petitions.
00:34:28.80\00:34:32.60
We still seek and
approach God in humility.
00:34:32.63\00:34:35.00
They know that God will
not remain silent forever.
00:34:35.04\00:34:37.64
And I love that.
00:34:37.67\00:34:39.01
I know that no matter
how much I cry out to God
00:34:39.04\00:34:40.68
in the moment of my pain,
in the moment of my suffering,
00:34:40.71\00:34:43.35
and it seems I'm not getting
the speedy answer that I need,
00:34:43.45\00:34:46.11
I know that at some
point He will answer.
00:34:46.15\00:34:49.25
Because He is a God of Promises.
00:34:49.35\00:34:51.92
The psalms
demonstrate that, of course,
00:34:52.09\00:34:53.96
that communication
with God must go on.
00:34:53.99\00:34:56.73
That's the key.
00:34:56.76\00:34:58.09
Don't allow the pain and the
suffering you're going through
00:34:58.43\00:35:00.86
to bring you to a
point where you sever
00:35:01.13\00:35:03.37
the connection with the Lord.
00:35:03.40\00:35:04.73
Where you stop talking to Him.
00:35:04.77\00:35:06.10
Where you give up and say,
"Well God's not listening to me.
00:35:06.13\00:35:07.64
He's not answering my prayer
00:35:07.67\00:35:09.00
in the time that I
need Him to answer it.
00:35:09.04\00:35:10.57
And so, obviously God
does not care for me."
00:35:10.61\00:35:14.04
We should not allow ourselves
to be brought to that point.
00:35:14.08\00:35:16.44
Desire of Ages, page
528, I love this quote.
00:35:16.48\00:35:19.08
"To all who are reaching out
to feel the guiding hand of God,
00:35:19.11\00:35:22.78
the moment of greatest
discouragement is the time when
00:35:22.82\00:35:26.15
divine help is nearest.
00:35:26.19\00:35:28.56
They will look
back with thankfulness
00:35:28.59\00:35:30.26
upon the darkest
part of their way."
00:35:30.29\00:35:33.16
And I can tell you, in my
very short and, yes, young life,
00:35:33.19\00:35:36.80
I have
experienced some dark moments.
00:35:36.83\00:35:38.47
And I look back on
those dark moments,
00:35:38.50\00:35:40.04
and this
particular quote rings true.
00:35:40.24\00:35:42.57
God is faithful.
00:35:42.60\00:35:43.94
And He does want to lead
you, He does want to guide you.
00:35:43.97\00:35:45.94
Never give up,
keep pressing forward,
00:35:45.97\00:35:48.04
and call out on
the name of the Lord.
00:35:48.08\00:35:50.31
~ Amen, amen.
00:35:50.51\00:35:51.85
I really love that statement.
00:35:51.88\00:35:53.21
To look back on
our darkest moments
00:35:53.25\00:35:55.35
and see them as a blessing.
00:35:55.62\00:35:57.75
Yeah, and that is
definitely the experience
00:35:58.05\00:35:59.85
that the
psalmist is having here.
00:35:59.89\00:36:01.22
My name is James Rafferty,
and I have Wednesday's lesson.
00:36:01.26\00:36:03.79
And it's entitled, Has His
Promise Failed Forevermore?
00:36:04.26\00:36:09.70
Has His Promise
Failed Forevermore?
00:36:09.73\00:36:11.53
So we're looking
primarily at Psalm 77.
00:36:11.87\00:36:15.70
Wednesday's lesson, Psalm 77.
00:36:15.74\00:36:17.47
We're not going to be
jumping all over the place.
00:36:17.51\00:36:19.01
I just have this one psalm that
has been given to me to look at.
00:36:19.04\00:36:22.74
And in the lesson study
this week, it begins by saying,
00:36:22.78\00:36:26.45
what is the experience that the
psalmist is going through here?
00:36:27.32\00:36:32.69
Psalm 77 begins with a plea to
God for help that is filled with
00:36:32.72\00:36:37.19
lament and painful
remembering the past.
00:36:37.23\00:36:40.23
So let's just
begin with verse 1.
00:36:40.26\00:36:42.06
It says, "I cried
unto God with my voice,
00:36:42.10\00:36:44.57
even unto God with my
voice; and He gave ear unto me.
00:36:44.60\00:36:48.60
In the day of my
trouble I sought the Lord;
00:36:48.70\00:36:50.91
my sore ran down in
the night and ceased not;
00:36:50.94\00:36:53.81
my soul refused to be comforted.
00:36:53.84\00:36:55.94
I remembered
God, and was troubled;
00:36:56.14\00:36:59.15
I complained, and my
spirit was overwhelmed. Selah."
00:36:59.45\00:37:03.52
So think about that.
00:37:03.55\00:37:04.89
"I remembered God
and I was troubled;
00:37:04.92\00:37:06.55
I complained and my
spirit was overwhelmed."
00:37:06.59\00:37:08.79
Normally when we think about
God as Christians and believers,
00:37:09.12\00:37:12.56
when we think about
the Lord in our troubles,
00:37:12.59\00:37:14.86
we're comforted, not troubled.
00:37:14.90\00:37:16.97
And normally when we complain,
we let out our complaint to God,
00:37:17.37\00:37:22.47
we're looking for some
comfort, some consolation.
00:37:22.50\00:37:25.44
But he says, "My
spirit was overwhelmed
00:37:25.64\00:37:27.98
when I complained to God.
00:37:28.01\00:37:29.34
I felt overwhelmed.
00:37:29.38\00:37:30.71
And a lot of that is because
as has already been shared,
00:37:30.75\00:37:34.22
many times we go through trials,
we want it to end very soon.
00:37:34.25\00:37:37.62
And it seems like a long time.
00:37:38.35\00:37:40.19
In fact, whenever you're
in an uncomfortable situation,
00:37:40.22\00:37:42.39
it seems like
it's taking forever.
00:37:42.59\00:37:44.23
You know, Jonah went
into the belly of the
00:37:44.33\00:37:46.93
fish for three
days and three nights.
00:37:46.96\00:37:48.30
He said, "I've been down
here forever and it's like
00:37:48.33\00:37:49.93
I'm in hell, I feel
like I'm in hell right now."
00:37:49.96\00:37:52.13
And it's taking forever.
00:37:52.40\00:37:54.37
This whole
experience is taking forever.
00:37:54.40\00:37:56.10
The only thing that I can think
of that, I absolutely abhor
00:37:57.34\00:38:01.68
is sitting in traffic.
00:38:01.71\00:38:03.88
Sitting in traffic,
lock-grid traffic just...
00:38:03.91\00:38:06.88
You know, you can be
there for 30 minutes or an hour,
00:38:06.92\00:38:08.82
it seems like
you've been wasting your
00:38:08.85\00:38:10.25
whole day sitting in traffic.
00:38:10.29\00:38:12.05
And this is the expression
00:38:12.09\00:38:13.66
I think that
David is revealing here.
00:38:13.69\00:38:17.59
He says, in verse 4,
"You hold my eyes waking;
00:38:17.86\00:38:21.53
I am so
troubled I cannot speak."
00:38:21.56\00:38:23.63
He can't sleep, he can't speak.
00:38:23.67\00:38:25.70
He is overwhelmed with anxiety,
00:38:25.90\00:38:28.80
he's overwhelmed with
his trouble with his trial.
00:38:28.84\00:38:31.34
"I have considered the days of
old, the years of ancient times.
00:38:31.37\00:38:34.44
I call to remembrance
my song in the night;
00:38:34.48\00:38:36.54
I commune in my own heart,
00:38:36.58\00:38:37.91
and my spirit
makes diligent search."
00:38:38.21\00:38:40.32
So he's doing everything he
can, everything in his power,
00:38:40.35\00:38:43.62
he's doing everything he can.
00:38:43.89\00:38:45.39
He's going through his
file of resources, so to speak.
00:38:45.42\00:38:48.46
You know, as we grow in
Christ, we grow in experience
00:38:48.49\00:38:51.69
and we grow in
wisdom, you know, we try this
00:38:51.73\00:38:54.06
and we try that,
and we seek for counsel,
00:38:54.10\00:38:56.26
and we seek for help
here and for help there.
00:38:56.30\00:38:58.33
We're trying to
navigate our present situation.
00:38:58.37\00:39:02.30
Perhaps it's like
nothing we've ever been through.
00:39:02.34\00:39:04.17
Off course, David went through
a lot of various experiences.
00:39:04.21\00:39:08.14
You know, he was
up and he was down.
00:39:08.18\00:39:09.84
His emotions were
all over the place.
00:39:09.88\00:39:11.78
And we see that
all through the Psalms.
00:39:11.81\00:39:13.21
His emotions were
all over the place.
00:39:13.31\00:39:15.05
The quarterly goes on to say,
the lesson study goes on to say
00:39:15.28\00:39:17.95
that David's whole being
is mournfully turned to God.
00:39:17.99\00:39:21.59
He refuses to be
comforted by any relief except
00:39:21.62\00:39:24.56
the one coming from God.
00:39:24.59\00:39:26.03
However, remembering God
00:39:26.39\00:39:28.20
appears to
intensify his anguish.
00:39:28.23\00:39:30.30
"When I remember
God, I moan." Psalm 77:3.
00:39:30.67\00:39:33.60
And that's the ESV.
00:39:33.64\00:39:34.97
The Hebrew, hamah,
"moan," often depicts
00:39:35.17\00:39:37.94
the roar of raging
waters. Psalm 46:3.
00:39:37.97\00:39:42.58
Similarly, David's whole being
is in a state of intense unrest.
00:39:42.81\00:39:48.38
Have you ever felt
intensely like you can't
00:39:48.42\00:39:52.19
find any rest whatsoever.
00:39:52.22\00:39:53.69
You're just
anxious, anxious, anxious.
00:39:53.72\00:39:55.89
How can
remembering God produce such
00:39:56.32\00:39:58.06
strong feelings of distress?
00:39:58.09\00:40:00.00
A series of troubling questions
betray the cause of his anguish.
00:40:00.63\00:40:03.93
He begins to ask
these troubling questions.
00:40:06.80\00:40:10.31
Like, has God changed?
00:40:10.34\00:40:11.74
Can God possibly be
betraying His covenant?
00:40:11.77\00:40:14.71
Verse 7, "Will the
Lord cast of forever?
00:40:15.01\00:40:17.05
Will He be favorable no more?
00:40:17.25\00:40:18.91
Is His mercy clean gone forever?
00:40:19.68\00:40:24.49
Does His promise
fail forevermore?
00:40:24.72\00:40:27.09
Has God," verse 9,
"forgotten to be gracious?
00:40:27.49\00:40:30.56
Has He, in anger, shut up
His tender mercies? Selah."
00:40:30.96\00:40:36.83
So think about this.
00:40:36.87\00:40:38.20
David is feeling as
though the tender mercies of God
00:40:38.77\00:40:42.07
are shut up.
00:40:42.10\00:40:43.44
Almost like
probation has closed.
00:40:43.47\00:40:45.27
Like there's no
more intercession.
00:40:45.31\00:40:46.98
Like there's no mercy, there
is no grace, there's nothing.
00:40:47.01\00:40:50.38
Like it's just
dark, it's formidable,
00:40:50.41\00:40:53.58
it's overwhelming to him.
00:40:53.62\00:40:55.42
In fact, if you look at this
statement, it's found in the
00:40:55.68\00:40:58.02
writings of Ellen White,
Christ Triumphant, page 153,
00:40:58.05\00:41:00.89
she says here, "The psalmist
David in his experience had
00:41:01.46\00:41:04.69
many changes of mind.
00:41:04.73\00:41:06.46
At times as he obtained
views of God's will and ways,
00:41:06.49\00:41:10.43
he was highly exalted.
00:41:10.47\00:41:11.80
Then as he caught sight
of the reverse of God's mercy
00:41:12.10\00:41:15.24
and changeless
love," the reverse of those,
00:41:15.27\00:41:17.31
"everything seemed to be
shrouded in a cloud of darkness.
00:41:17.51\00:41:21.04
But through the
darkness he obtained a view
00:41:21.24\00:41:23.01
of the attributes of
God, which gave him confidence
00:41:23.04\00:41:25.98
and strengthened his faith.
00:41:26.01\00:41:27.35
But when he meditated
upon the difficulties and
00:41:27.72\00:41:30.79
dangers of life, they
looked so forbidding, and he
00:41:30.82\00:41:33.69
thought himself abandoned
by God because of his sins."
00:41:33.72\00:41:37.36
So you see, he's
going back and forth.
00:41:37.39\00:41:39.83
Have you ever had
that in your experience?
00:41:39.86\00:41:41.50
Have you ever had
these times when you're just
00:41:41.70\00:41:43.40
praising God and
you're just feeling like,
00:41:43.50\00:41:45.27
"Yes, God is with me and
everything is going well."
00:41:45.30\00:41:47.14
And then a week later, two
weeks later, a month later,
00:41:47.17\00:41:49.80
everything seems to be dark.
00:41:50.04\00:41:51.51
And nothing really seems
to have changed in your life.
00:41:51.77\00:41:53.78
You feel like you've
just been going along.
00:41:53.81\00:41:55.14
But everything is
dark all of a sudden.
00:41:55.18\00:41:56.51
You're thinking, "What happened?
00:41:56.54\00:41:57.88
Where is God right now?"
00:41:57.91\00:41:59.25
David is going back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth.
00:41:59.28\00:42:02.45
He sees through the darkness,
he has confidence and strength,
00:42:02.65\00:42:06.29
he has faith, and then he
meditates about his difficulties
00:42:06.32\00:42:09.36
and the dangers in his life,
and they look so forbidding
00:42:09.39\00:42:12.09
that he thinks himself abandoned
by God because of his sins.
00:42:12.13\00:42:15.20
And of course, it comes down
to the way that we see ourselves
00:42:15.30\00:42:20.30
in contrast to
God's goodness and love.
00:42:20.34\00:42:22.57
In contrast to His
perfection we see ourselves,
00:42:22.60\00:42:25.44
and we're overwhelmed.
00:42:25.64\00:42:26.98
Daniel was overwhelmed
when he saw, you know, Christ.
00:42:27.01\00:42:29.31
John was overwhelmed
on the isle of Patmos when
00:42:29.41\00:42:31.91
Jesus came to visit him;
he just felt like a dead man.
00:42:31.95\00:42:34.28
And when we see Christ...
00:42:34.48\00:42:35.82
Just understand this, friend,
that as you walk with the Lord,
00:42:35.92\00:42:40.59
your repentance
is going to deepen.
00:42:40.76\00:42:42.39
You're going to have
these moments where a thrill of
00:42:42.42\00:42:46.03
darkness comes over
you, and you feel overwhelmed
00:42:46.06\00:42:48.06
because you see yourself
in contrast with Christ.
00:42:48.10\00:42:50.63
And you look back on
your life and you think,
00:42:50.67\00:42:52.03
"I've always been
this way, haven't I?
00:42:52.33\00:42:53.67
I've always had
this selfishness,
00:42:53.70\00:42:55.04
I've always had this thing in me
where I want to be number one.
00:42:55.07\00:42:58.37
I've always had
these things inside of me."
00:42:58.41\00:43:00.44
They're just contrary to
what it means to be like Christ.
00:43:00.48\00:43:04.15
Don't be overwhelmed with that.
00:43:04.68\00:43:07.98
God understands
that. He knows that.
00:43:08.02\00:43:09.65
He knows your heart, He
knows what you're going through.
00:43:09.68\00:43:11.92
David went
through these experiences.
00:43:12.35\00:43:14.39
The statement goes
on, and it says here,
00:43:14.42\00:43:16.42
"He viewed his sin
in such a strong light
00:43:16.46\00:43:19.06
that he exclaimed, 'Will
the Lord cast off forever?
00:43:19.09\00:43:23.03
Will He be favorable no more?'"
00:43:23.06\00:43:25.57
And again, that's,
Christ Triumphant, page 153.
00:43:25.60\00:43:28.10
So the lesson
quarterly goes on to say,
00:43:28.14\00:43:30.64
the stark contrast
between God's saving acts
00:43:30.67\00:43:34.01
in the past God's
absence in the present
00:43:34.04\00:43:37.55
caused David to
feel abandoned by God.
00:43:37.71\00:43:40.88
If God has changed,
then David has no hope,
00:43:41.38\00:43:45.59
a conclusion that
he struggles to reject.
00:43:45.62\00:43:49.99
He's wrestling
with this conclusion,
00:43:50.03\00:43:51.69
He's struggling
with this conclusion.
00:43:51.73\00:43:53.33
Meanwhile, David
cannot sleep because
00:43:53.53\00:43:55.93
the Lord keeps him awake.
00:43:55.96\00:43:57.50
This makes him recall biblical,
or this gives us recall to
00:43:57.70\00:44:02.50
biblical
characters who couldn't sleep.
00:44:02.54\00:44:03.87
Remember,
Pharaoh couldn't sleep.
00:44:03.91\00:44:05.31
He had a dream, you know,
of the seven ears of corn,
00:44:05.34\00:44:08.04
and the seven fat
cattle and lean cattle.
00:44:08.08\00:44:16.89
And we have others
like Nebuchadnezzar.
00:44:17.32\00:44:20.56
He had a dream,
you know, of an image,
00:44:20.59\00:44:22.09
and sleep went from him.
00:44:22.12\00:44:23.56
Of course, he
couldn't remember the dream,
00:44:23.59\00:44:24.93
and that was God's plan.
00:44:24.96\00:44:26.29
But you see these
dreams; David is talking about
00:44:26.33\00:44:28.23
these dreams that
many times come to us
00:44:28.26\00:44:30.87
to try to get us to
awaken to our need of God,
00:44:30.90\00:44:35.44
or perhaps to a
deeper relationship
00:44:35.47\00:44:38.04
or experience with God.
00:44:38.07\00:44:39.41
So we see again in
verse 10, "And I said,
00:44:40.28\00:44:43.35
'This is my infirmity;
but I will remember the years
00:44:43.38\00:44:46.38
of the right hand
of the Most High.'"
00:44:46.58\00:44:48.75
This is my weakness.
00:44:48.78\00:44:50.12
This is a
weakness that we all have.
00:44:50.15\00:44:51.49
But we're going to
carry this weakness with us.
00:44:51.52\00:44:53.25
We've got to remember God.
00:44:53.29\00:44:55.29
We've got to remember the
blessings at His right hand.
00:44:55.32\00:44:58.06
The assurance that
David receives from God
00:44:58.49\00:45:02.56
does not consist of explanations
about his personal situation,
00:45:02.60\00:45:05.90
but rather a confirmation
of God's faithfulness
00:45:05.93\00:45:09.07
and trustworthiness. Right.
00:45:09.10\00:45:11.54
"I remember the works
of the Lord, " verse 11,
00:45:11.74\00:45:13.58
"surely I remember
Your wonders of old.
00:45:13.61\00:45:15.41
I will meditate also on all Your
work, and talk of Thy doings.
00:45:15.44\00:45:19.85
Thy way, O God,
is in the sanctuary;
00:45:19.88\00:45:21.95
who is so great
a God as our God?"
00:45:21.98\00:45:25.05
The sanctuary is
the answer for David.
00:45:25.09\00:45:27.82
It is the centerpiece
of this psalm of David.
00:45:28.42\00:45:31.69
Psalm 77:13 directs the reader,
it directs all of us to God's
00:45:31.73\00:45:37.90
sanctuary, to God's Old
Testament message of grace,
00:45:37.93\00:45:40.74
to God's Old
Testament message of mercy.
00:45:40.94\00:45:43.34
The gospel was laid out
in the types and shadows
00:45:43.37\00:45:45.94
of this Old
Testament sanctuary service.
00:45:45.97\00:45:48.54
If you want to know where the
gospel is in the Old Testament,
00:45:48.78\00:45:51.05
it's in the sanctuary.
00:45:51.35\00:45:53.25
Often sacred ordinances were
used in what we could describe
00:45:53.28\00:45:57.09
in New Testament language
as turning the grace of God
00:45:57.12\00:45:59.32
into a license to sin.
00:45:59.35\00:46:00.69
"I'm so sick of
your sacrifices."
00:46:00.72\00:46:02.52
Because they
don't produce obedience.
00:46:02.56\00:46:04.59
The animal sacrifices
representing the great sacrifice
00:46:04.63\00:46:07.60
of Messiah were made
without impacting the heart,
00:46:07.63\00:46:10.20
and therefore failing
to change the direction of
00:46:10.23\00:46:12.43
the life away from sin.
00:46:12.47\00:46:14.07
But David goes again
to the sanctuary because
00:46:14.27\00:46:16.71
nevertheless the
Old Testament sanctuary
00:46:16.74\00:46:18.64
service was the gospel in types.
00:46:18.67\00:46:21.11
The New Testament
reality is Jesus Christ,
00:46:21.14\00:46:23.81
the Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world.
00:46:23.85\00:46:26.61
Therefore, the everlasting
gospel, the great love,
00:46:26.65\00:46:30.29
the great
faithfulness, the great hesed
00:46:30.32\00:46:32.52
of these great
sacrifices is the sacrifice made
00:46:32.55\00:46:36.52
by God Himself in the
person of Jesus Christ.
00:46:36.56\00:46:39.16
Go there, flee there,
stay there, rest there,
00:46:39.19\00:46:42.63
Rest there in Jesus Christ.
00:46:42.66\00:46:44.20
Thank you so much.
00:46:45.23\00:46:46.57
I'm not going to disappoint
you, because we're going to
00:46:46.60\00:46:47.94
stay in the sanctuary here.
00:46:47.97\00:46:49.30
I'm Daniel Perrin, and
I have Thursday's lesson;
00:46:49.40\00:46:51.94
Les the Righteous be Tempted.
00:46:51.97\00:46:54.01
The lesson begins by
pointing out a contrast.
00:46:54.21\00:46:57.38
Psalm 125:3, "the
scepter of wickedness,"
00:46:57.58\00:47:02.02
versus Psalm 45:6, "the
scepter of righteousness."
00:47:02.22\00:47:07.19
Two scepters.
00:47:07.52\00:47:08.86
A scepter is held by
a king, so two kingdoms,
00:47:08.89\00:47:12.03
two thrones, two wills.
00:47:12.06\00:47:15.16
And it looks like
one kingdom's scepter,
00:47:15.36\00:47:18.27
throne, or will is winning
because it's in the majority.
00:47:18.30\00:47:22.90
It seems to have the
wealth and prosperity.
00:47:22.94\00:47:25.57
And so to some
people God's promises,
00:47:25.61\00:47:28.04
the scepter of righteousness,
can look like they have failed.
00:47:28.24\00:47:32.25
And so we ask the
question, does it pay?
00:47:32.61\00:47:34.98
Is it worth it?
00:47:35.22\00:47:36.55
By following God's will,
am I going to come out on top?
00:47:36.58\00:47:40.19
And so we do something that
we call a cost benefit analysis.
00:47:40.22\00:47:44.19
We look at the
projections for income,
00:47:44.23\00:47:46.49
and the cost of goods
sold, and the receipts,
00:47:46.53\00:47:49.20
and all the numbers.
00:47:49.23\00:47:51.17
We crunch the
numbers and we say,
00:47:51.20\00:47:52.97
is following Jesus
going to be worth the cost?
00:47:53.30\00:47:57.61
And so the psalmist
David here was in this position
00:47:58.31\00:48:01.34
in Psalms 73.
00:48:01.44\00:48:02.94
Go there with me.
00:48:02.98\00:48:04.48
Psalm 73
00:48:04.51\00:48:06.01
I'm going to read
verses 1-14 with you right now.
00:48:07.12\00:48:10.25
Starting really strong here,
"Truly God is good to Israel,
00:48:10.29\00:48:15.89
to such as are pure in heart."
00:48:15.92\00:48:17.73
Here's our starting
place and it's going to be the
00:48:17.76\00:48:19.59
the anchor we return to.
00:48:19.63\00:48:20.96
"But as for me, my
feet had almost slipped;
00:48:21.36\00:48:25.43
my steps has nearly slipped."
00:48:25.47\00:48:27.87
In other words, "I
almost gave up on God.
00:48:27.90\00:48:31.04
I came this close.
00:48:31.24\00:48:32.91
I was just about to my limit,
and I was going to quit it all."
00:48:32.94\00:48:37.08
"For I was
envious of the boastful
00:48:37.68\00:48:39.65
when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked."
00:48:39.68\00:48:42.85
And so he looks out at
the prosperity of the wicked
00:48:42.88\00:48:45.52
and he says, "Things
don't appear to be adding up.
00:48:45.55\00:48:48.62
What I see around me
does not seem to make sense
00:48:48.66\00:48:51.13
with the promises I
know of God's character."
00:48:51.16\00:48:53.40
Verse 4, "For there are
no pangs in their death,
00:48:53.43\00:48:56.73
but their strength is firm.
00:48:56.83\00:48:58.30
They are not in
trouble as other men,
00:48:58.33\00:49:00.64
nor are they
plagued like other men.
00:49:00.67\00:49:02.94
Therefore, pride
serves as their necklace;
00:49:03.14\00:49:05.54
violence covers
them like a garment.
00:49:05.74\00:49:07.78
Their eyes bulge with abundance;
00:49:07.98\00:49:10.05
they have more
than heart could wish.
00:49:10.08\00:49:11.95
They scoff and speak
wickedly concerning oppression;
00:49:11.98\00:49:15.18
they speak loftily.
00:49:15.22\00:49:17.15
They set their
mouth against the heavens,
00:49:17.35\00:49:20.19
and their tongue
walks through the earth.
00:49:20.76\00:49:22.82
Therefore, his
people return here,
00:49:23.39\00:49:25.19
and waters of a full
cup are drained by them.
00:49:25.23\00:49:28.30
And they say,
'How does God know?
00:49:28.33\00:49:30.93
And is there
knowledge in the Most High?'
00:49:31.13\00:49:33.44
Behold, these are the
ungodly who are always at ease;
00:49:33.47\00:49:37.41
they increase in riches.
00:49:37.44\00:49:39.94
Surely I have
cleansed my heart in vain,
00:49:39.97\00:49:43.18
and washed my
hands in innocence.
00:49:44.11\00:49:46.11
For all day long
I have been plagued,
00:49:46.15\00:49:48.12
and chastened every morning."
00:49:48.15\00:49:50.45
"The weight of it all
presses down and I almost quit."
00:49:50.49\00:49:54.12
On the one hand, there's a
prayer of desperation that says,
00:49:54.52\00:49:57.09
"Lord, if You save me,
I'll serve You forever."
00:49:57.13\00:50:00.43
And some follow through with it.
00:50:00.83\00:50:02.30
On the other hand, there's
a prayer that goes like this:
00:50:02.83\00:50:05.07
"Lord, if You don't come
through for me, I'm done.
00:50:05.33\00:50:08.20
That's it, that's it."
00:50:08.90\00:50:10.51
In a cost benefit analysis,
it doesn't seem to pay.
00:50:10.54\00:50:14.14
Kids don't do a
cost benefit analysis,
00:50:14.18\00:50:16.41
but they know
how to say, "No fair.
00:50:16.44\00:50:18.45
The naughty kids should
stay in and the good kids
00:50:18.75\00:50:21.05
should go out to have recess,
not the other way around."
00:50:21.08\00:50:23.79
You've probably
struggled with this.
00:50:24.65\00:50:26.25
You look around and
you say, "Hey, I'm honest.
00:50:26.29\00:50:29.02
I didn't lie about this.
00:50:29.06\00:50:30.49
They lied and
they got away with it.
00:50:30.53\00:50:32.93
And they actually got
praised, and they got lifted up
00:50:32.96\00:50:35.96
and recognized
in front of people."
00:50:36.00\00:50:38.13
Or, "They cheated in
order to preserve their 4.0
00:50:38.73\00:50:41.84
to make sure they
get their scholarship.
00:50:41.87\00:50:44.01
I didn't cheat, so
I got a lower grade.
00:50:44.04\00:50:46.47
And I didn't get a 4.0, and
I didn't get the scholarship.
00:50:46.51\00:50:49.58
And the rest of the
course of my life is different.
00:50:49.78\00:50:52.55
But they got away with it."
00:50:52.58\00:50:54.22
"I don't listen
to the world's music.
00:50:55.82\00:50:57.92
I don't watch
the world's movies.
00:50:57.95\00:50:59.42
And so when the
friends invite me over, I say,
00:50:59.52\00:51:02.96
'Sorry, I can't come.'
00:51:02.99\00:51:04.33
And then on Monday,
they're all talking about the
00:51:04.36\00:51:06.46
great time they had.
00:51:06.49\00:51:07.83
They're sharing the pictures.
00:51:07.86\00:51:09.20
And I don't get
invited to stuff anymore.
00:51:09.23\00:51:11.40
And they've got all the
fun, and I'm kind of here alone.
00:51:11.43\00:51:15.10
I don't have anything to do."
00:51:15.30\00:51:16.74
Or we look around and we say,
00:51:17.64\00:51:19.14
"They don't seem
to have a problem.
00:51:19.87\00:51:21.34
They're just
going along blissfully.
00:51:21.58\00:51:23.35
And yet the Lord is surgically
removing idols from my life.
00:51:23.38\00:51:27.05
And He's pressing
upon my conscience.
00:51:27.08\00:51:29.72
And I'm feeling
the weight of sin.
00:51:29.75\00:51:31.45
And they don't seem to
have any problem whatsoever."
00:51:31.49\00:51:33.99
Psalm 102, Psalm 77, "They're
not having that experience,
00:51:34.02\00:51:38.29
but here I am, and I'm
going through this deep struggle
00:51:38.33\00:51:40.90
as God is laying
upon me burdens."
00:51:40.93\00:51:43.37
Psalm 42:3, "Tears have
been my food day and night..."
00:51:43.57\00:51:47.97
"And nobody else seems
to be in this situation.
00:51:48.00\00:51:50.57
I miss out, I stand
out, my soul is afflicted,
00:51:50.61\00:51:54.48
and this has been years of this.
00:51:54.51\00:51:56.24
And Lord, I'm just not
seeing the benefit any longer."
00:51:56.28\00:51:59.85
This is the
temptation of the righteous.
00:52:00.52\00:52:02.58
To question the divine order,
and then to give up too soon
00:52:02.78\00:52:07.99
because the story is not done.
00:52:08.02\00:52:10.03
And this is a real temptation.
00:52:10.23\00:52:11.96
And this psalm is not
the only expression of that.
00:52:11.99\00:52:14.60
Here are two; Job.
00:52:14.63\00:52:16.63
And you can see why
Job might think this.
00:52:16.67\00:52:18.73
"The tents of robbers
prosper, and those who provoke
00:52:21.07\00:52:25.21
God are secure, in what
God provides by His hand."
00:52:25.24\00:52:29.34
"God, you're supplying them, and
they're getting away with it."
00:52:29.38\00:52:32.78
Jeremiah 12:1, I like this.
00:52:33.42\00:52:35.45
Listen how honest he is.
00:52:35.48\00:52:36.89
"Righteous are You, O
Lord, when I plead for You;
00:52:36.92\00:52:40.26
yet let me talk with
You about Your judgments.
00:52:40.29\00:52:43.06
Why does the way
of the wicked prosper?
00:52:43.93\00:52:46.26
Why are those happy
who deal so treacherously?"
00:52:46.29\00:52:49.56
And then the answer is given,
and we saw it from the start.
00:52:50.17\00:52:52.60
He said God is good.
00:52:52.63\00:52:53.97
We get to verse 15, "If I had
said, 'I will speak thus...'"
00:52:54.00\00:52:58.97
"If I just let that all out."
00:52:59.01\00:53:00.71
"...behold, I would
have been untrue to the
00:53:00.74\00:53:02.88
generation of Your children.
00:53:02.91\00:53:04.25
When I thought how
to understand this,
00:53:04.61\00:53:06.65
it was too painful for me,"
00:53:06.68\00:53:08.65
verse 17, "...until I
went into the sanctuary of God;
00:53:08.68\00:53:14.06
then I understood their end."
00:53:14.39\00:53:17.36
He doesn't just
glance at the sanctuary,
00:53:18.13\00:53:20.03
doesn't just see a
model or a PowerPoint image.
00:53:20.06\00:53:22.60
He has a personal
experience going in
00:53:22.63\00:53:25.43
as God through the
Holy Spirit guides him into
00:53:25.47\00:53:28.07
what happens in the sanctuary.
00:53:28.10\00:53:30.11
And he begins to
see the big picture.
00:53:30.14\00:53:32.37
He begins to see the
wicked the way God sees them.
00:53:32.41\00:53:35.71
He begins to see the
whole story from start to finish
00:53:36.18\00:53:39.38
and what the conclusion
is going to be to each path.
00:53:39.41\00:53:42.48
Not just what it
looks like right here.
00:53:42.52\00:53:44.55
He begins to
see the big picture.
00:53:44.59\00:53:47.02
What is it that he sees?
00:53:47.72\00:53:49.52
Well, he sees the sacrifice,
and the sins placed on that
00:53:50.19\00:53:53.73
sacrificial animal.
00:53:53.76\00:53:55.16
And then that sacrificial
animal is consumed to ashes.
00:53:55.20\00:53:59.40
And whoever does
not place their sin
00:53:59.77\00:54:02.34
upon that
sacrificial animal, upon Christ,
00:54:02.37\00:54:05.57
consumed
completely, they bear it.
00:54:05.61\00:54:08.44
And they will be the ones
who are completely consumed
00:54:08.64\00:54:12.05
to ashes, to destruction.
00:54:12.08\00:54:13.72
Here's what he sees, verse 18.
00:54:13.75\00:54:16.02
"Surely You set
them in slippery places;
00:54:16.05\00:54:19.35
You cast them
down to destruction.
00:54:19.39\00:54:21.49
Oh how they are brought to
desolation, as in a moment."
00:54:21.52\00:54:25.69
This is the final
destruction, final death.
00:54:25.73\00:54:28.80
"They are utterly
consumed with terrors.
00:54:28.83\00:54:32.10
As a dream when one
awakes, so, Lord, when You awake
00:54:32.13\00:54:35.10
You shall despise their image."
00:54:35.14\00:54:37.07
And then he says, verse
21, "Thus my heart was grieved,
00:54:37.74\00:54:42.34
and I was vexed in my mind.
00:54:42.38\00:54:44.55
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
00:54:44.58\00:54:48.98
Nevertheless, I am
continually with You."
00:54:49.02\00:54:52.39
I think of the prodigal
son and the other brother,
00:54:52.42\00:54:55.29
and the father says, "You've
been with me the whole time.
00:54:55.32\00:54:57.63
Don't worry about the conclusion
of other people's story,
00:54:58.49\00:55:01.90
for what they're
going to go through,
00:55:01.93\00:55:03.26
what they're going through now."
00:55:03.30\00:55:04.73
"You hold me by my right hand.
00:55:05.97\00:55:07.54
You will guide me
with Your counsel,
00:55:07.57\00:55:09.20
and afterward,
receive me to Your glory."
00:55:09.24\00:55:12.47
And so now as the
big picture opens to him,
00:55:12.77\00:55:15.41
he begins to weep for the lost.
00:55:15.44\00:55:17.81
He begins to grieve for
their spiritual condition,
00:55:18.38\00:55:21.98
as well as his own
for not trusting God,
00:55:22.02\00:55:24.85
that He's faithful
and that He's good.
00:55:24.89\00:55:26.82
So now when he's
abused by people,
00:55:27.19\00:55:29.56
when he sees other
people getting away with stuff,
00:55:29.59\00:55:32.03
he begins to see
their spiritual danger
00:55:32.06\00:55:34.73
and he begins to
intercede for them.
00:55:34.76\00:55:37.17
And isn't this what
Jesus did on the cross?
00:55:37.20\00:55:40.24
"Father, forgive them.
00:55:40.27\00:55:42.34
They don't know
what they're doing."
00:55:42.37\00:55:44.81
He realizes that what
he's been claiming all along
00:55:45.67\00:55:48.44
is that God is not just and He's
not going to keep His promise.
00:55:48.48\00:55:52.81
But he had not, until
he goes into the sanctuary,
00:55:53.62\00:55:56.89
recognized the character of God.
00:55:56.92\00:55:59.02
His grace and mercy.
00:55:59.05\00:56:01.02
"I'm preserving them
because I want them to have
00:56:01.06\00:56:04.46
the opportunity to
do what you've done.
00:56:04.49\00:56:07.06
To go into the sanctuary,
to let their sins be born
00:56:07.10\00:56:10.43
by the sin bearer
and be consumed there
00:56:10.47\00:56:12.97
so that they are not consumed.
00:56:13.00\00:56:14.87
So David realizes
now, "I've been like Jonah.
00:56:15.97\00:56:19.11
I was cheering on, desiring
the destruction of the wicked,
00:56:19.47\00:56:22.91
looking forward to the police
officer to pull someone over."
00:56:22.94\00:56:25.81
And this is what
Satan tempts us to do.
00:56:25.85\00:56:28.28
He says, "I want you to
judge by physical criteria,
00:56:28.32\00:56:31.72
but I don't want you to
see things spiritually."
00:56:31.75\00:56:34.12
The spiritual
warfare that is going on,
00:56:34.16\00:56:36.83
and people's lives
are in the balance.
00:56:36.86\00:56:38.73
And there's going to
come a day of judgment.
00:56:38.76\00:56:40.96
Wrath is being saved
up for the day of wrath.
00:56:41.00\00:56:44.17
But right now pray for the lost.
00:56:44.20\00:56:46.33
Pray for those who do you wrong.
00:56:46.37\00:56:48.40
Because God desires for them to
00:56:48.44\00:56:50.21
have the
salvation that you have.
00:56:50.24\00:56:52.17
In the final cost-benefit
analysis here's what
00:56:52.24\00:56:54.58
Jesus says in John 16:33.
00:56:54.61\00:56:56.78
"In the world you
will have tribulation;
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.88
but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world."
00:57:00.08\00:57:03.75
~ Amen and amen.
00:57:03.95\00:57:05.29
We have only about 45 seconds.
00:57:05.32\00:57:07.99
Does somebody have something
that's burning in their heart?
00:57:08.02\00:57:10.83
James 1:2-3, "My brethren,
count it all joy when you fall
00:57:12.79\00:57:15.86
into various trials,
knowing that the testing
00:57:15.90\00:57:18.00
of your faith
produces patience."
00:57:18.03\00:57:20.37
~ Amen.
00:57:20.40\00:57:21.74
Well, I just want to
thank you, we all thank you
00:57:21.77\00:57:23.97
for joining us today.
00:57:24.01\00:57:25.41
Our study has been, Singing the
Lord's Song in a Strange Land.
00:57:25.71\00:57:32.11
Sometimes we are in
such, surrounded by such evil
00:57:32.15\00:57:37.22
we won't know how we
can live a life of faith;
00:57:37.75\00:57:40.72
wondering where God might be.
00:57:41.02\00:57:42.79
But He's always
there, my friend.
00:57:42.82\00:57:44.43
You've got to keep your eyes
focused on your Lord and Savior.
00:57:44.46\00:57:48.13
And we hope that you'll
be joining us next week.
00:57:48.33\00:57:52.23
The program will
be, I Will Arise.
00:57:52.27\00:57:57.07
Until then, may the grace of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
00:57:57.17\00:58:00.78
the love of the Father, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:58:00.81\00:58:03.98
be with you always.
00:58:04.01\00:58:05.68