1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 My name is Lanny and then they have a big question. 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,720 Where do you serve in the church? 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,380 And the only thing I can come up with is I'm the dinosaur. 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,760 I've been here forever, but I love the people of this church 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,920 and I love this church. 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,320 Today's scripture reading is from Psalms 124. 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,040 If the Lord had not been on our side, 8 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:33,560 let Israel say, if the Lord had not been on our side 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,700 when people attacked us, when they would have swallowed us 10 00:00:37,700 --> 00:00:41,340 alive in their burning anger against us, 11 00:00:41,340 --> 00:00:44,300 then the water would have engulfed us. 12 00:00:44,300 --> 00:00:47,200 The torrent would have swept over us. 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,240 The raging water would have swept over us. 14 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,240 Blessed be the Lord who has not let us be ripped apart 15 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,240 by their teeth. 16 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:04,040 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter's net. 17 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,720 The net is torn and we have escaped. 18 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,080 Our help is in the name of the Lord, 19 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,480 the maker of heaven and earth. 20 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,120 This is God's word. 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:19,400 Thank you, Lanny. 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:24,400 I'll take the microphone, one last thing to hold. 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:35,400 Thank you, Lanny. 24 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:44,960 In 1582, John Dury, a devoted Scottish minister, 25 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:47,960 faced imprisonment due to his unwavering preaching 26 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:48,800 of the gospel. 27 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,360 When he was finally released from prison, 28 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,400 an assembly of his friends and congregants 29 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,200 eagerly gathered at the prison gates to welcome him 30 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:00,040 as he came out. 31 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,040 Together they embarked on a solemn procession 32 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,480 up the bustling streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. 33 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,920 Amidst their journey, a remarkable event unfolded 34 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:15,240 as Dury and his companions melodiously sang 35 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,720 a rendition of this psalm, Psalm 124. 36 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:25,480 Astonishingly, around 2,000 individuals came and began 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:30,480 to join them in the streets, singing Psalm 124. 38 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,880 A harmonious chorus. 39 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:39,760 One of Dury's oppressors witnessing this awe-inspiring sight 40 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,240 and hearing the sounds and resounding echoes 41 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,480 of Psalm 124 in the streets confessed 42 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,000 that he had never encountered anything 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,840 as unsettling in all of Scotland. 44 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,920 It is often recounted that Protestant refugees 45 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:02,440 from various parts of Europe, upon arriving in Geneva 46 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,440 during the Reformation and reaching the grand wooden doors 47 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,440 of St. Pierre, would be greeted by the uplifting sounds 48 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,240 of people singing Psalms. 49 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,080 For these weary travelers who had suffered in lands 50 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,280 where they dared not openly raise their voices 51 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,480 in praise to God, for fear of being captured or persecuted, 52 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,040 these hymns served as a sanctuary, 53 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,360 a small glimpse of heaven on the outskirts 54 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,720 of their earthly struggles. 55 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,760 Throughout the years, this procession 56 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:36,720 of pilgrims from all over the world 57 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,440 has been a source of encouragement in solace 58 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,440 for countless pilgrims marching 59 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,840 through their time on this earth. 60 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,120 That is why our series is called A Pilgrim's Song. 61 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,120 These songs of assent, both an individual 62 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:59,120 and a community event, where fear and faith meet 63 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:00,560 in united song. 64 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,320 And today's Psalm, Psalm 124, 65 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,400 is attributed to the man David. 66 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,280 Now David was an Israelite shepherd boy 67 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,200 who had a knack for playing the harp 68 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,680 and writing songs and melodies. 69 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,720 And he was from a small town of Bethlehem about 1,000 BC, 70 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,200 so not that long ago, right? 71 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:21,640 Lanny, were you there? 72 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:22,480 Okay. 73 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,200 Israel had gone through all sorts of hardships 74 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,120 and had to face many challenges. 75 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,280 Israel had gone through all sorts of trouble and hardship 76 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:36,160 after having been set free from slavery from Egypt. 77 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,600 They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, right? 78 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,880 And then under the leadership of Joshua, 79 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,680 they had been brought into the land 80 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:44,960 that God had promised them. 81 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,720 And many wicked and evil tribes and nations 82 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,480 were in that land. 83 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,080 And as judgment for their wickedness, 84 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,480 God had sent Israel to conquer and take possession of it. 85 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,040 Eventually, Joshua dies and the people enter a period of time 86 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,520 where there isn't a clear leader, 87 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,400 they haven't fully taken the land 88 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,160 as they were supposed to do, 89 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,440 and they're constantly being harassed 90 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,200 and invaded by wicked tribes and nations. 91 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,560 So God raises up a series of judges, 92 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,280 and you can read about all those stories 93 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:18,920 in the Book of Judges. 94 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:20,200 And it's wild chaos. 95 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,680 We studied it in the Men's Bible study a while back, 96 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:24,680 and it was just a ride. 97 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:26,000 My goodness. 98 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,560 My goodness. 99 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,320 So God raises up these series of judges 100 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,080 to lead the people through this time, 101 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,160 but eventually the Israelites demand 102 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,840 that they be given a king like all the other nations. 103 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:41,840 We wanna be like all the other nations. 104 00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:45,840 And God said, he took that as a rejection of him, 105 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,240 a rejection of his kingship. 106 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,200 He was the one who brought them out of Egypt. 107 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,440 He was the one who guided them through the wilderness. 108 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,760 He was the one who had given them the promised land 109 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:55,600 and showed it before. 110 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,440 And now they said, give us a king to rule us. 111 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,360 Give us a king to follow. 112 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,440 And so God gave that what they wanted to them. 113 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:11,160 And some have speculated it was judgment what he gave them. 114 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,560 Judgment in the person Saul. 115 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,160 Saul is chosen, and he's a man of great stature. 116 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,640 Everyone recognizes a natural born leader, 117 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,400 a tall man, commanding. 118 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,440 But he was not a devoted worshiper of Yahweh. 119 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,160 He was not a devoted worshiper of God. 120 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:32,960 And his heart was not after God. 121 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,040 And so David, the man who wrote Psalm 124, 122 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,200 it is said that he is a man after God's own heart. 123 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,960 And therefore the Lord chooses him to be king 124 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,240 of the Israelite nation. 125 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,760 The people chose Saul, and God gave them what they wanted. 126 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:59,000 God chose David after Saul's death in battle 127 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:00,760 to ascend the throne. 128 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:02,680 And while we don't know the exact situation 129 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,960 that surrounds Psalm 124, and where these words were, 130 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,440 what birthed these words in David, 131 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,280 we can see that it was written in response 132 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,320 to a great victory that the Lord had given to David 133 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:15,680 and the people of Israel. 134 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,280 And yet, even in the words, you can see that it seems 135 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,480 that David is still concerned a little bit. 136 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,760 David is concerned that the people might make the mistake 137 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:27,360 of attributing the victory, 138 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:33,320 directing the credit to the wrong source. 139 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,760 Maybe their own intellect is what won the war. 140 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,480 Or maybe it was their might and strength. 141 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,520 Or maybe it was their superior power 142 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,760 or maybe it was their superior firepower at that moment. 143 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,320 Or maybe it was their privilege. 144 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,120 We're chosen. 145 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,080 It's a lock, we're gonna win. 146 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,200 We're gonna look at Psalm 124 under three headings. 147 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,200 The deliverer, the danger, and our dependence. 148 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:08,800 And so number one, the deliverer. 149 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,400 Psalm 124 begins with the words, 150 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,600 if the Lord had not been on our side. 151 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,000 Let Israel say, if the Lord had not been on our side, 152 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,840 when people attacked us. 153 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,080 Now as a song of ascent, as Nick talked about last week, 154 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,600 you can imagine making your journey up to Jerusalem, 155 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,800 up to the temple, up to the place of worship, 156 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,800 and the place where the festivals of the people of Israel 157 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:35,640 would take place. 158 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,960 And it's a place where the people of Israel 159 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,960 would take place, and it's up, it's on a hill, right? 160 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:42,280 And so you're making your way. 161 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:46,120 You're a pilgrim on a journey, walking, 162 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,320 one of those thoroughfares through the countryside 163 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,600 on your way to celebrate. 164 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,480 And maybe a song leader or maybe one of the local priests 165 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,000 or Levites throughout the countryside 166 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,320 is walking along with you. 167 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,400 Or maybe the head of a family and they began to sing. 168 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:08,000 They began to say, if the Lord had not been on our side, 169 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,880 come on Israel, sing with me. 170 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,520 If the Lord had not been on our side, 171 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:19,800 the words on our side or literally in Hebrew mean for us. 172 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,320 The Lord had not been for us. 173 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,000 Well who is the us? 174 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:31,520 Let Israel say, if the Lord had not been for us. 175 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:35,600 Well who is Israel, Israel is God's chosen people, right? 176 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,640 The elect, the people through whom He chose 177 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,480 to reveal Himself to the world. 178 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,280 The people through whom would be a blessing to all nations 179 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,120 and they might come to know the glory of our God. 180 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,040 Who is the deliverer? 181 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,120 Who is the one who is with them? 182 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:55,960 The Lord. 183 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:58,400 The Lord is with them. 184 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,000 Yahweh, the covenant name of God. 185 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:06,200 The Psalter is set on making sure that everyone knows 186 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,920 that the Lord is their only hope. 187 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,320 Oh people, the Lord is your deliverer. 188 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 In Samuel, in 2 Samuel chapter five, 189 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,240 Saul is dead and David has been crowned king. 190 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,920 And Saul died in battle against the pharaohs 191 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,720 and Saul died in battle against the Philistines. 192 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,680 Philistines were one of those really irritating people 193 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:35,000 in the life of Israel. 194 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,000 And Saul had gone out and he ended up dying 195 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,680 along with many of his sons in this battle. 196 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,560 David begins to rally the people as he ascends 197 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:48,800 to the throne and is crowned. 198 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,720 And the Philistines here, there's a new king 199 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:51,680 and so what are they gonna do? 200 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:53,040 Well they're gonna test the limits, right? 201 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:54,000 They're gonna see. 202 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,440 Let's finish this once for all. 203 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,440 We could have all this territory, all this land. 204 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,120 Let's finish what we started. 205 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:00,960 What does David do? 206 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,480 He goes and he inquires of the Lord, Yahweh. 207 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:05,520 What should we do? 208 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:07,760 Should we attack? 209 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,320 And the Lord tells David, attack, 210 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,000 for I will hand them over to you. 211 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,000 The same Philistines that had routed 212 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,680 and killed Saul and the army. 213 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:23,280 David obeys and absolutely crushes them. 214 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:24,840 Absolutely crushes them. 215 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,720 It is possible that a victory like this 216 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:30,600 out of Second Samuel five, 217 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:33,560 that the people of Israel might be tempted 218 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:34,680 to credit David. 219 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,640 Saul had lost. 220 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,000 Saul had fallen in battle just before. 221 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:43,440 Our armies were routed. 222 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,440 David rises up. 223 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:46,760 Look at this great king. 224 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,080 David is our savior. 225 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,000 They might have looked at their own zeal or passion. 226 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,400 Hey, we got riled up and we got into the fight 227 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:57,600 and look what we did. 228 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,800 It would be tempting to think we must be something great 229 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:04,560 to have achieved such a victory. 230 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,480 It is possible that in your own life, 231 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,160 you might think that you are something great. 232 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:15,760 That what you have, 233 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,680 you have achieved because of your great endeavor, 234 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:21,920 because of your brains, 235 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:23,960 or because of your brawn, 236 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:25,560 or your resolve. 237 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,080 Even in matters of faith, we can be tempted. 238 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:32,840 I've kept myself pure. 239 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,440 I've resisted temptation. 240 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,960 I have great pride in choosing Christ. 241 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:41,280 I chose him. 242 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,040 Look at all those pitiful other people out there 243 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:46,520 who aren't as smart as me. 244 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,840 David is reminding the people that without the Lord, 245 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,200 they are hopeless. 246 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,960 Without the Lord, they are hopeless. 247 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,600 And with that, he's also trying to stir up gratitude 248 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,200 for what God has done. 249 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,680 My parents, whenever we get together with the family, 250 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:08,800 they live in Montana, so it's not often, 251 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:10,320 but whenever we get together, 252 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,040 they love to pay for the food they eat. 253 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,440 They love to pay for the food they drink. 254 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,360 They love to pay for whatever food or treats 255 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,240 that we get while we're out and about with the family. 256 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:22,720 They always kind of intervene, 257 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:24,360 find their way to squirrel their way in, 258 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:25,680 and pay for it, right? 259 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,560 And the boys often, as they would grow up not knowing, 260 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:31,200 like they don't know who pays for it, 261 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,360 they just know food comes and delivers and they eat it, 262 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:34,960 and then they want more, right? 263 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:38,920 Would often hear from us, 264 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:40,640 hey, are you enjoying that ice cream? 265 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:45,640 Well, grandpa bought it for you, right? 266 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:48,920 It's not just information, right? 267 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,480 Not just giving them information, what am I doing? 268 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:56,120 I'm inviting them to be grateful. 269 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,560 I'm inviting them into gratitude. 270 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,360 David is saying, glory in your deliverer. 271 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:06,560 Glory in him. 272 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:11,200 Study his past and present deliverances in your life 273 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,360 so that you can have confidence in his future deliverance. 274 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,640 Study it, glory in it, give thanks. 275 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,240 Look, if the Lord hadn't been on our side, Israel, 276 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,960 if the Lord hadn't been on our side, 277 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,280 do you know what would have happened? 278 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,480 Can you imagine what life would be like? 279 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,920 Hopeless, without purpose. 280 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,640 Look back, glory in what he has done 281 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,120 in order to be prepared for what is next in life. 282 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,760 Which leads me to point number two, the danger. 283 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,160 But we see that David doesn't leave it there. 284 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,440 He wants to deepen their response. 285 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:57,000 He wants it to go even deeper. 286 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,840 And so he says, people, 287 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,960 you don't even know what danger you were in. 288 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,480 You can't even believe it. 289 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:05,960 You can't begin to understand 290 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,080 how the odds were stacked against you. 291 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,920 You don't know how close you came to death in defeat. 292 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,480 If the Lord had been, not been on our side, 293 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:19,600 when people attacked us, 294 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,880 then they would have swallowed us alive 295 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:25,680 in their burning anger against us. 296 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:27,840 Then the waters would have engulfed us. 297 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:29,840 The torrent would have swept over us. 298 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,200 The raging water would have swept over us. 299 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:33,800 Blessed be the Lord, 300 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:37,160 who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth. 301 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,480 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter's net. 302 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,520 The net's torn and we have escaped. 303 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,160 Do you even know the danger you were in? 304 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,400 I must be a glutton for punishment, 305 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,560 but ever so often, weekly usually, 306 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:02,800 I go out for coffee and play a game or two 307 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,560 of chess with my son, Micaiah. 308 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:10,560 I don't know where he's at, but I don't ever win. 309 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,320 I mean, I've won once or twice, 310 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,160 but I could see it in the twinkle in his eye 311 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,160 that he gave that one to me, 312 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:17,760 because he didn't want me to stop 313 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,200 going out and playing with him. 314 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,760 But chess is an interesting game that I've learned, 315 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,800 even in the times where I've been playing, 316 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,160 where you can really feel good about your position 317 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,600 and be only one or two moves away or mistakes away 318 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:36,640 from an absolute route. 319 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,560 And it's been interesting to sit there 320 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,640 and experience those emotions. 321 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:42,760 They're real. 322 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:44,640 I like to say that I'm not competitive. 323 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:45,760 I'm not competitive. 324 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:47,920 I don't play games, right? 325 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,240 I don't play games because I lose and I want to win. 326 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:52,600 That's why I don't play games. 327 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:57,600 But chess is an interesting game. 328 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,000 You learn as you're sitting there these emotions, 329 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,840 like, oh, I'm about to win. 330 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,640 I'm about to beat this kid finally. 331 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,600 And then two moves later, I'm down in the, 332 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:12,960 can we just call it, I yield, you win? 333 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:13,800 Let's go. 334 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:18,720 You don't even know how close the danger, 335 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:20,600 you don't know the odds that were stacked against you. 336 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:24,520 You don't know one move away from defeat. 337 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,640 David uses imagery to communicate 338 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,120 how much in danger they actually were. 339 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,560 Verse three says that if not for the Lord, 340 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,600 they would have been swallowed whole, 341 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,200 swallowed up alive, 342 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:40,640 like an animal swallowing something else whole 343 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,360 or like how we might describe a fire 344 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:45,400 sweeping through the forest, right? 345 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,320 It doesn't break the trees into little pieces like we do 346 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,280 and then stack them and then light them on fire. 347 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,960 It just consumes it wholesale. 348 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:56,040 Or verse four and five, 349 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,160 different pictures that he uses, 350 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,920 water that's engulfing or sweeping over them 351 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:01,160 like a torrent. 352 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,520 Or verse six, ripping them to shreds with their teeth. 353 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,760 Or verse seven, a fowler's trap set for them, 354 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:12,520 snare, do you think those little birds 355 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,480 that get snared in those traps often get out? 356 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:19,680 No, it was that close, 357 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,200 that close to defeat. 358 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:24,640 Just a little bit, my son Gabe 359 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,680 will be going on his second summer camp at Rocking Waters, 360 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:28,880 Rockin' Waters, 361 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:34,960 which is on the river up near Lotus toward our home. 362 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:36,560 They're gonna do mountaineering, 363 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:37,520 they're gonna do hiking, 364 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,120 they're gonna do river rafting. 365 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,760 And while they're gonna be in some fairly tame waters 366 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:44,880 where they're at, 367 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,800 they wear life jackets and helmets for a reason. 368 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,880 One head bump away from slipping unconsciously 369 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:53,240 into the water. 370 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:54,720 Believe me, I thought about this 371 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:58,840 while he was gone last year. 372 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,280 One rapid away from flipping the raft 373 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,280 and spilling the occupants 374 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,680 into the swift, unforgiving and indifferent waters. 375 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,880 These images that David used in the psalm 376 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:13,600 paint the picture of the danger 377 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,320 that God's people are always in. 378 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,320 God's people are always in it 379 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,440 because there's always an enemy prowling around. 380 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,520 Their enemy has designs on traps for them 381 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,320 and designs to ensnare them and swallow them 382 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,680 and envelop them and crush them. 383 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:35,760 He isn't done yet. 384 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:38,720 He hasn't given up yet. 385 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:42,720 At this time, he is seeking to kill, 386 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,400 steal and destroy. 387 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,080 And he's prowling to look for someone to devour. 388 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:49,800 That's what the word says. 389 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,240 If the Lord wasn't for us, 390 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,240 we would be all his. 391 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:57,720 The danger's real. 392 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,200 Leads to the final point, our dependence. 393 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,280 And so how does David bring this up? 394 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:11,040 And so how does David bring this psalm to a close? 395 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:12,280 With verse eight, he says, 396 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,040 our help, our help Israel, 397 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,640 is in the name of the Lord, 398 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,240 the maker of heaven and earth. 399 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,240 We were introduced to our deliverer in verses one and two. 400 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,440 We were told of the ever-present reality 401 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,960 of the dangers that we were facing 402 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,760 in verses three through seven. 403 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,200 And now in verse eight, 404 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,920 we close with a wonderful declaration of dependence. 405 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:48,360 What does it mean that our help is in the name of the Lord? 406 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,200 The name of the Lord is so much more 407 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:54,560 than just a personal label, 408 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,640 so much more than like a personal name like John. 409 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,720 The name of the Lord is the sum total 410 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,960 of all that he has revealed himself to be to his people. 411 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:10,960 It is his nature, his attributes, his character, his love. 412 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,840 It is personal and knowable. 413 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:18,400 It is who he shows himself to be through his word. 414 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:20,360 We trust in the name of the Lord 415 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:24,400 because we trust in all that God has disclosed 416 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:29,280 about himself, who he is, what he does. 417 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,400 When the Old Testament was translated into Greek, 418 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,760 the translators decided that the word that would be used 419 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,800 anywhere the name Yahweh appeared in the Old Testament, 420 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:42,200 when they translated into Greek, 421 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,720 they would use the word kireos. 422 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:52,320 And in English, kireos is translated Lord or kireos. 423 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,520 One of the earliest confessions of the first believers 424 00:21:58,520 --> 00:21:59,600 was a simple phrase. 425 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:00,440 You guys know what it was? 426 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,520 It was three words. 427 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,560 Earliest confession, some people call it a creed. 428 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,280 Jesus is Lord. 429 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,560 Jesus is kireos. 430 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,440 We may immediately wanna interpret that as, 431 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:22,840 oh, Jesus is master. 432 00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:27,800 But those early believers knew exactly what it meant. 433 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,360 Yes, Jesus is master. 434 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,680 But it also meant that Jesus is the exact representation 435 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,680 of the Father, Yahweh. 436 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,840 Jesus is God with us. 437 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,840 The covenant God who revealed himself as Yahweh, Jesus. 438 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,480 And Jesus, God with us, stepped down from heaven 439 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,480 and entered into our world. 440 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:59,480 We must remember that Jesus is the God who was with us. 441 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:06,840 If God was not for us, Jesus was with us. 442 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,920 And in him proves God's faithful love for us. 443 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,560 First John chapter three, verse eight says that the son, 444 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,000 Jesus, appeared for this purpose. 445 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,960 The son appeared for this purpose, 446 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,440 to destroy the work of the devil. 447 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,880 To destroy the work of the devil. 448 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,400 To fight and win the victory over our enemies. 449 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,520 If the Lord Jesus had not been on your side, 450 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,920 death would have swallowed you up, alive. 451 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,160 If the Lord Jesus had not been on your side, 452 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,400 sin would trap you, 453 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,080 and drag you down to the pit of hell. 454 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,760 If the Lord Jesus is not on your side 455 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:55,760 and not protecting his own child, 456 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,560 then the enemy of our soul would have won your soul 457 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:01,040 and destroyed you. 458 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:07,240 Do you think you resist temptation on your own? 459 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,800 Do you think that the Lord Jesus 460 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,400 is the God who is with us? 461 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:22,400 Do you think you can take the devil and his lies 462 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:26,440 and his fears all on your lonesome self? 463 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,120 You're the devil, I'm John. 464 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:31,960 Woo! 465 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,080 If the Lord had not been on our side, 466 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,560 we would have been swallowed alive. 467 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,200 We would have been dashed against the rocks. 468 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:46,840 We would have been torrent and taken away. 469 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,000 If the Lord Jesus had not demonstrated 470 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,560 his great love for us, 471 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,480 that while we were still a sinner, 472 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,080 Christ died for us, 473 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,480 you and I would be lost. 474 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:08,840 But he is for you. 475 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,120 He has prevailed. 476 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:14,520 He has prevailed today. 477 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,400 I'm fighting a battle you've already won. 478 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,680 No matter what comes my way, I will overcome. 479 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,440 I don't know what you're doing all the time, 480 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:27,880 but I know what you've done. 481 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,440 I'm fighting a battle you've already won. 482 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,760 Here, oh Israel, here, oh Israel, 483 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,240 here, oh chosen people of God, 484 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,400 your help is in the name of the Lord, 485 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:48,160 the maker of heaven and earth. 486 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:49,200 He got that right. 487 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:51,400 He'll get this right. 488 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:58,160 Romans eight has some amazing words, 489 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:00,200 to me at least, 490 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,320 amazing words of pure hope for God's chosen people. 491 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:11,320 Will you listen to these words as we wrap up this morning? 492 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,680 What then are we to say about these things? 493 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,880 If God is for us, who can be against us? 494 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,680 He did not even spare His own Son, 495 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:33,320 but gave Him up for us all. 496 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:37,600 How will He not also with Him grant us everything? 497 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:43,720 Who can bring an accusation against God's elect? 498 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:45,760 God is the one who justifies. 499 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:47,360 Who is the one who condemns? 500 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:49,560 Christ Jesus is the one who died, 501 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,640 but even more has been raised. 502 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:56,640 He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 503 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:01,640 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? 504 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:04,040 Can affliction? 505 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,160 Can distress? 506 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:09,880 Can persecution? 507 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:11,400 Can famine? 508 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,000 Can nakedness? 509 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,160 Danger? 510 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:15,000 Sword? 511 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:17,960 The fowler's net? 512 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:21,320 The torrents of the raging water? 513 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,720 Can they separate us from the love of God? 514 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:28,720 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors 515 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:33,720 through Him who has loved us. 516 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:38,800 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 517 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,640 nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, 518 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,080 nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, 519 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,160 nor anything other created thing 520 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,640 will be able to separate us from the love of God. 521 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:56,640 That is shown to us in Christ Jesus. 522 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,200 People of God, if the Lord had not been on our side, 523 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:05,840 we would be lost. 524 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,040 But in Christ, He gave His life. 525 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,320 He was for us. 526 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,440 And so our challenge this morning is to live in the love 527 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:19,240 of Christ Jesus. 528 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,600 Our challenge this morning is to live in light of that, 529 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,440 remember to look back at His deliverance 530 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,960 and His present deliverance with hope 531 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,480 for His future deliverance. 532 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:33,720 And we know we can take it to the bank. 533 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,880 He's made good on His promise. 534 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,880 And so we serve Him and we love Him 535 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:40,920 and gratitude wells up in our hearts 536 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,240 because of what He has done for us. 537 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:45,240 Will you pray with me? 538 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,720 Father, I thank you so much 539 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,920 for these precious words of promise. 540 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,320 For us, these pilgrims on the journey of life, 541 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,600 as we make our ascent, 542 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:00,600 as we look to our heaven's home in the city of God, 543 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:04,600 and we sing songs to help us along the way. 544 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,120 Today we sing, if the Lord had not been on our side, 545 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:13,560 we would be lost, but our helper is our help. 546 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,080 Our helper is our maker. 547 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,160 And our help is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 548 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,720 We thank you so much for your words of promise 549 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,040 and we know that we can trust them this morning. 550 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:45,040 In Jesus' name, amen, amen.