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We're in book four of the five books of the Psalms.

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And this one is a particular favorite of mine, Psalm 95.

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And the reason for that is, you may have noticed

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that some events in the pages of scripture

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are uniquely foundational to the biblical narrative.

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Now of course we know every word in scripture matters,

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but maybe you've noticed that some stories

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and some lessons get repeated over and over again.

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Certain themes show up that reinforce

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for every successive generation

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what God wants to communicate to his people.

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And the most obvious example that pops off

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at the very beginning of the Bible

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is creation and the fall.

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Those two events introduced to us

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both the nature of God and the nature of man,

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and they set the trajectory

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for the entire rest of human history.

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But another example of this is the Exodus.

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The Exodus is foundational to our understanding

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of who God is and how he works and what follows.

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The actions and reactions of the Israelites

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during God's sovereign plan to bring them

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to the promised land through the wilderness

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over a period of 40 years.

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It is a story and a lesson that shows up

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over and over again, both in the Old Testament

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and in the New Testament.

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And it's a huge part of the Psalm we're looking at today.

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So grab your Bibles, we're gonna jump right into it.

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We're going to Psalm 95.

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Psalm 95 serves as the introduction to a series of Psalms

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that runs from 95 to 100 that focuses on praise and worship.

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And you'll see as you turn there

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that like Psalm 91 last week,

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95 does not have a superscription.

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It doesn't tell us who authored it.

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It doesn't give us any specific backstory.

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Although there's a comment in Hebrews chapter four

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which leads some scholars to believe

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that perhaps David penned this,

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but we don't know for sure.

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But let's read through it one time

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and then we're gonna come back and work our way through it.

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Verse one, Psalm 95.

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Oh, come, let us sing for joy to the Lord.

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Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

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Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving.

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Let us shout joyfully to him with Psalms.

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For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods

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in whose hands are the depths of the earth

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and the peaks of the mountains are his also.

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The sea is his, for it was he who made it

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and his hands formed the dry land.

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Come, let us worship and bow down.

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Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.

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For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture

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and the sheep of his hand.

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Now, pause for a moment.

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What we're about to hear in the final few verses

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is a distinct shift from what we just heard,

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exhortation to warning.

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And it may seem at first glance that,

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man, this feels like two completely different Psalms,

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but trust me, we'll make the connection.

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There is a very important connection

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between these two sections.

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So continuing in verse seven now.

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Today, if you would hear his voice,

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do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,

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as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

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when your fathers tested me.

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They tried me, though they had seen my work.

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For 40 years I loathed that generation

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and said they are a people who err in their heart

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and they do not know my ways.

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Therefore I swore in my anger,

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truly they shall not enter into my rest.

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Okay, so there's a lot going on in this Psalm,

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so here's how we're gonna walk through it.

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We're actually gonna start with that last section,

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which obviously has an important Old Testament backdrop

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to it, and we'll walk through that story first,

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including a map.

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And then we'll come back to those remarkable exhortations

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about worship in verses one to six.

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We'll look again at verses eight through 11.

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As we heard in that first reading,

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there's this distinct and dramatic shift in tone and mood

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as compared to that first section.

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There's also a change in the voice of the speaker.

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Look at verse nine.

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The pronouns change in that first section,

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one through six, from he and we to me and I

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in verses nine through 11,

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which means that in verses nine through 11 it's Yahweh.

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He's the one who is delivering to us

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this ominous warning in those final three verses.

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And of course, that warning is connected

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back to the days of Moses,

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back to the years after the Israelites

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came out of slavery in Egypt,

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and then they wandered through the wilderness

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of the Sinai Peninsula,

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and then up into the Negev Desert,

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and finally into the promised land over 40 years.

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And as we know, only two faithful men, Caleb and Joshua,

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of that first generation, came out of Egypt

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and did not fall and die in the wilderness.

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Only two survived, only two of that first generation

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would be allowed into the promised land,

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the land that God had promised to Abraham.

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And that's what the psalmist is referring to

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in verses 10 and 11 of Psalm 95.

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Look at 10 and 11.

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"'For 40 years I loathed that generation,' God says."

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That first generation that came out of Egypt.

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"'They are a people who err or go astray in their hearts.'"

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And that's key to understanding this psalm.

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It's not just what they did,

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not just the way they reacted to things,

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it was the wretched condition of their hearts

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that led them into sin.

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"'They are a people who go astray in their heart,

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"'and they do not know my ways.'"

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So catch that.

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These people are in proximity to the Lord.

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They are among the community of faith,

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and yet still they don't know God,

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and they don't know his ways.

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That's very important to see right on the outset.

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And then verse 11 says,

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"'Therefore I, the Lord, swore in my anger,''

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"'I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter my rest.'"

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Now what does he mean by the rest

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in the context of Psalm 95?

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He's talking about the rest of being in the promised land,

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coming into this land of milk and honey

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that had been promised to Abraham.

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Okay, where do we find this historical backdrop?

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Well, you see in verse eight these two terms,

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marabah and masah in the wilderness.

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And what happened there?

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Verse nine,

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"'That was the place where your fathers tested me

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"'and tried me.'"

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Now there's actually two different incidents

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in the Old Testament that took place

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at this location called marabah.

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One in the very first few months of the Exodus,

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the first few months after they came out of Egypt,

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and then a second incident in the latter half,

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close to the point where they were coming

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into the promised land.

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Two distinct incidents, but with very similar stories.

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So in your mind, go back to the story of the Exodus.

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I don't have time to walk you through that.

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We'd be here for three hours.

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But go back in your mind to the book of Exodus.

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In chapters 13 and 14 of Exodus,

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we're told about the Israelites escaping from slavery

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and then supernaturally crossing the Red Sea, right?

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One of the great miracles of the Bible.

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So let's get our bearings here on this map.

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Okay, so we have, this is a map,

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obviously you have Egypt there in the east,

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and then, I'm gonna be so far in the west,

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and then moving east you have the Sinai Peninsula,

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and then if you move north you come into the Negev Desert,

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and eventually you come to the land of Israel,

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which at that time was called Canaan.

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Okay, so just to get your bearings here.

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The pink circle is the land of Goshen.

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That's where the Hebrews had been in slavery.

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And you basically see a route there.

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We don't know the specific route,

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but this is a pretty good scholarly look

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at the route that they would have taken.

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In order to get from Goshen up into the promised land,

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they're gonna have to cross two bodies of water.

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That orange star is likely the place

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where they crossed the Red Sea, miraculously,

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and then you see all the wandering,

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and eventually they've gotta get to where that blue star is,

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which is the Jordan River.

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So we'll come back to this map a couple times,

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but just to get your bearings on that.

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Now it's important to remember

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that that first generation of freed Israelites

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had seen God do absolutely jaw-dropping miracles before them.

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Things that you and I would long to see, right?

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Just miracle after miracle.

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In fact, that's what the psalmist is referring to.

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If you look at verse nine of our text,

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he says, your fathers tested me and tried me,

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though they had seen my work.

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They had seen what I could do.

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And what had they seen?

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Well, first they saw the plagues that God sent upon Pharaoh

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and upon Egypt and upon all their false gods.

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And then God had given the Israelites the pillar of cloud

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that guided them during the day

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and the pillar of fire at night.

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And those were designed to let the Israelites know,

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you're not alone out here,

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that I, the Lord, am with you,

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and I will guide you and I will protect you.

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And then the Israelites watched God as part of the Red Sea.

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Can you imagine that?

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Can you imagine that sight?

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We've all seen the movie, right?

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Right, we've all seen the Charlton,

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no, maybe you guys are too young

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to see the Charlton Heston movie.

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I mean, but have you imagined that in your mind,

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what it would have looked like to see God part the Red Sea

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and then for God to take his people across on dry land

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and then slam the water back down on the Egyptian army?

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Guys, how unforgettable would that miracle have been?

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Think about that.

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But it turns out not to be the case

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because the hearts of this people,

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in spite of seeing all that, still weren't right.

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They didn't know the Lord,

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which is hard to believe, but true.

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But they started out well.

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What's interesting is after they escape out of Egypt,

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in chapter 15 of Exodus,

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you have the recording of this thing we know

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as Moses's song and it says all of Israel

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saying praises to God.

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They were so happy to have been rescued

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and taken out of Egypt.

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And so they praise God for his kindness and his power

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and his faithfulness and for rescuing them.

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But here's the thing, they sang that song at a time

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when things were going pretty well.

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And God was doing all these miracles for them

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and they felt so loved.

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But things were about to get much worse.

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And this is important for us to recognize in our lives.

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There are times, there are seasons

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when things are going really well

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and we feel the Lord's blessing

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and we see him working in our lives

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and then there's drier seasons.

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So how are we gonna react in those dry seasons?

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In the very next verse,

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after Moses's song in chapter 15,

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after they had worshiped,

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it says that Israel went three days into the wilderness

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and they found no drinkable water.

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Uh-oh.

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So worship is over and now it's time for grumbling.

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Where's the water?

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And look, I don't wanna downplay

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how hard that might have been.

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This is a very dry and barren land

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and three days without water is a serious thing

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and I probably would have been struggling too.

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But after seeing all those miracles,

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you would have at least thought

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00:10:40,940 --> 00:10:42,080
that they said in their hearts,

264
00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,200
okay God, we've seen what you can do

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00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:47,440
and we're in great need here.

266
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We know you love us and so provide water for us.

267
00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,040
Provide water for our families and children

268
00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,000
and then they would stand back to see how he would do that.

269
00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,960
But is that what they did?

270
00:10:58,960 --> 00:10:59,800
They didn't.

271
00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,520
They traveled to, see the green dot there,

272
00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,440
a place called Marah and it says there

273
00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,420
that they came to water but it was undrinkable.

274
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It was bitter, the text says.

275
00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,720
But thankfully the Israelites had Moses to intercede for them

276
00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:15,660
and he cried out to God for help

277
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and the Lord instructed Moses

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to throw a particular log into the water

279
00:11:19,420 --> 00:11:20,500
and it became drinkable.

280
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It was another miracle

281
00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,540
and so God provided it for them once again.

282
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But then shortly after that,

283
00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,000
in the next chapter, Exodus 16,

284
00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:30,400
the people are grumbling again,

285
00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:31,920
this time for lack of food.

286
00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,480
And God supernaturally provides them both manna and meat,

287
00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,760
manna, type of bread and meat.

288
00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,800
And that is what brings us to the first incident

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00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,600
mentioned in Psalm 95, which comes from Exodus 17.

290
00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,700
In fact, we're gonna turn there in our Bibles.

291
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Go to Exodus 17,

292
00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,480
put your little marker in Psalm 95.

293
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We'll definitely be back.

294
00:11:55,380 --> 00:11:57,600
But we're gonna read a couple of these Old Testament texts

295
00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,400
just to get the flavor of what's going on.

296
00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,240
We're gonna read verses one through seven in Exodus 17.

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It says, in all the congregation of the sons of Israel

298
00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:18,200
journeyed by stages from the wilderness of sin

299
00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,040
according to the command of the Lord

300
00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,080
and they camped at Rephidim, which boom,

301
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:24,960
there's your red dot.

302
00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,560
That's the first incident of Meribah that took place.

303
00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:30,880
And you can see this is just right before

304
00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,680
the Israelites get to Mount Sinai.

305
00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:36,780
So this is in the first three months of the Exodus.

306
00:12:36,780 --> 00:12:40,360
They end up down there at that red dot in Rephidim.

307
00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:41,360
And what does it say?

308
00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,040
And there was no water for the people to drink.

309
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,760
So you see the recurring problem, right?

310
00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,040
And why not?

311
00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,220
This is a massive group of people

312
00:12:50,220 --> 00:12:51,780
that requires a lot of water

313
00:12:51,780 --> 00:12:55,000
and there's not a lot of water in the Sinai Peninsula.

314
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,320
And so they're grumbling again.

315
00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,020
Verse two says,

316
00:12:58,020 --> 00:13:00,520
therefore the people quarrel with Moses and said,

317
00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,800
give us water that we may drink.

318
00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,480
Notice now they're pointing their finger at Moses

319
00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,820
and demanding that he fix their problem, not the Lord.

320
00:13:08,820 --> 00:13:10,020
At this point in the story,

321
00:13:10,020 --> 00:13:12,040
it's like Moses has become a genie to them.

322
00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:16,360
Like we demand things, you go to God, you make it happen.

323
00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:17,880
That's what's going on here.

324
00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,600
And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me?

325
00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,200
Why do you test the Lord?

326
00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,560
Now there's that language that we saw in Psalm 95,

327
00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:27,160
testing the Lord.

328
00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:28,480
Why do you test the Lord?

329
00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,800
Verse three, but the people thirsted there for water

330
00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,760
and they grumbled against Moses and said,

331
00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,640
why now have you brought us up out from Egypt

332
00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:41,280
to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?

333
00:13:42,340 --> 00:13:45,760
Talk about believing the worst of someone, right?

334
00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,440
Moses has this overwhelming role to play

335
00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:50,280
in leading all of these people

336
00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,560
and he's done nothing but be good and faithful to them.

337
00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:57,680
And this is how they repay him with nasty accusations.

338
00:13:57,680 --> 00:13:58,960
It's really, really horrible.

339
00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,560
The flat text doesn't do it justice,

340
00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:04,840
just how ugly this was becoming.

341
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,120
Verse four, so Moses cried out to the Lord saying,

342
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,520
what shall I do with these people?

343
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,320
Right, there's desperation in his voice.

344
00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,660
A little more and they're gonna stone me, he says.

345
00:14:16,660 --> 00:14:18,240
So it's really gotten bad.

346
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,760
Verse five, then the Lord said to Moses,

347
00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,120
pass before the people and take with you

348
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,720
some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand

349
00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:29,440
your staff with which you struck the Nile and go.

350
00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,440
Behold, I, the Lord, will stand before you there

351
00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,440
on the rock of Horeb and you shall strike the rock

352
00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,680
and water will come out of it that the people may drink.

353
00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,440
Okay, now that would take a lot of faith, right,

354
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:43,400
on Moses' part.

355
00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,640
Oh, take this, strike the rock, water comes out.

356
00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,040
All right, and Moses did so on the side

357
00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:51,120
of the elders of Israel.

358
00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,040
Good job, Moses, good leader.

359
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,200
Verse seven, and he named the place Massah and Meribah

360
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,200
because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel

361
00:14:58,200 --> 00:14:59,920
and because they tested the Lord,

362
00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:01,920
saying is the Lord among us or not?

363
00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,720
They questioned whether God was even with them

364
00:15:06,180 --> 00:15:07,680
because they lacked water.

365
00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,480
So, Massah and Meribah are not just geographical names,

366
00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,340
they are names given to this place

367
00:15:13,340 --> 00:15:16,520
in order to symbolize these two evils.

368
00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,640
Both of which characterize the hearts of this generation.

369
00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,280
In Hebrew, the first word Massah means to test

370
00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,900
and Meribah means either strife or contention.

371
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,720
And so, that's what this place was named.

372
00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:32,960
Now, there's gonna be another incident of this.

373
00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:37,040
In fact, go forward to the book of Numbers,

374
00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:38,200
chapter 20.

375
00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,100
We'll fast forward in the story.

376
00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:45,120
So, that's the first incident

377
00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:46,760
that Psalm 95 is pointing to.

378
00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,920
This is the second, Numbers chapter 20.

379
00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:53,640
So, time passes between Exodus 17 and here in Numbers 20,

380
00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:55,120
but one thing hasn't changed,

381
00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:56,680
the people are still grumbling.

382
00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:59,140
They're still going through hardship,

383
00:15:59,140 --> 00:16:00,180
they're still not happy,

384
00:16:00,180 --> 00:16:03,000
they're still hardening their hearts against God

385
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,260
and hardening their hearts against God's appointed leaders.

386
00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:08,380
Now, here in Numbers 20,

387
00:16:08,380 --> 00:16:10,020
we're not gonna see the term Massah,

388
00:16:10,020 --> 00:16:11,140
only the word Meribah,

389
00:16:11,140 --> 00:16:13,320
but the events are very, very similar.

390
00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,400
Look at verse one.

391
00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,000
Then the sons of Israel,

392
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,800
the whole congregation came to the wilderness of Zin.

393
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,280
So, we had the wilderness of Sin first

394
00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:23,960
and now we have Zin with a Z,

395
00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,880
which is much further to the north,

396
00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:28,320
and the people stayed at Kadesh.

397
00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:29,520
So, back to our map.

398
00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:31,760
The yellow dot is the second incident

399
00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:34,200
that's referenced in Psalm 95.

400
00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,580
So, from the red dot up to the yellow dot

401
00:16:36,580 --> 00:16:39,600
are the two locations that we're talking about here.

402
00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,080
They stayed at Kadesh.

403
00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,680
Now, Miriam died there and was buried there,

404
00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,040
and there was no water for the congregation.

405
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:47,320
Shocker, right?

406
00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:48,840
Again, no water.

407
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,680
And they assembled themselves against Moses

408
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,340
and Aaron as well.

409
00:16:54,300 --> 00:16:56,300
The people thus contended with Moses,

410
00:16:56,300 --> 00:16:59,700
and there's that word, contended or Meribah.

411
00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:02,520
The people contended with Moses and spoke saying,

412
00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,200
if only we had perished when our brothers perished

413
00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,940
before the Lord, such drama,

414
00:17:07,940 --> 00:17:09,520
such so dramatic, right?

415
00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:10,960
If only we had died.

416
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,240
We wouldn't be going through this.

417
00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,180
Verse four, why then have you brought the Lord's assembly

418
00:17:16,180 --> 00:17:20,040
into this wilderness for us and our beast to die here?

419
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,760
Why have you made us come up from Egypt

420
00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:26,760
to bring us into this wretched place, he says.

421
00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,120
It's not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates,

422
00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:32,500
nor is there water to drink.

423
00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:35,980
Do you hear the entitlement in this?

424
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,340
And they're clearly implying that being back in Egypt

425
00:17:40,340 --> 00:17:42,760
would be much better than this,

426
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,280
even though that was slavery.

427
00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:46,520
Think about that.

428
00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:48,020
It'd be better to be in slavery

429
00:17:48,020 --> 00:17:51,060
where at least there's comfort and stuff we can eat.

430
00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:54,660
This is a deeply ungrateful people.

431
00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:57,840
Verse six, and Moses and Aaron came in

432
00:17:57,840 --> 00:17:59,700
from the presence of the assembly

433
00:17:59,700 --> 00:18:01,260
to the doorway of the tender meeting,

434
00:18:01,260 --> 00:18:02,540
and they fell on their faces.

435
00:18:02,540 --> 00:18:05,960
And man, I feel that as a church leader.

436
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:07,960
There are times when ministry just overwhelms you

437
00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:09,180
and people are coming at you,

438
00:18:09,180 --> 00:18:11,600
and you're just like, I don't know what to do.

439
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,480
And you fall on your face and you say, Lord, I need help.

440
00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:15,920
I need strength to get through this

441
00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,120
because people are upset.

442
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,680
And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

443
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,440
God's so faithful, right?

444
00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:23,800
The glory of the Lord appeared to them,

445
00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,760
and Lord spoke to Moses saying,

446
00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,200
take the rod and you and your brother Aaron

447
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,080
assemble the congregation, now check this,

448
00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,560
and speak to the rock before the rise.

449
00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,920
Speak to it, that it may yield its water.

450
00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,960
You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock

451
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,000
and let the congregation and their beasts drink.

452
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,520
So Moses took the rod from before the Lord,

453
00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:46,760
just as he had commanded him,

454
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,680
and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock,

455
00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,480
and he said to them, listen now, you rebels.

456
00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:55,800
Moses is angry.

457
00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,200
I know that doesn't come through on the flat page

458
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,320
as much as it will find out, but he's angry.

459
00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,280
Listen, you rebellious people.

460
00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,320
Shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?

461
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:09,880
Then Moses lifted up his hand

462
00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,840
and struck the rock twice with his rod,

463
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,080
and water came forth abundantly, God's grace,

464
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,320
and the congregation and their beasts drank.

465
00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,040
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

466
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,120
because you've not believed me,

467
00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:25,160
to treat me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel,

468
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,240
therefore you shall not bring this assembly

469
00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,740
into the land which I have given them.

470
00:19:29,740 --> 00:19:31,680
Those were the waters of Meribah,

471
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,160
or the waters of contention,

472
00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,560
because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord,

473
00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,280
and he proved himself holy among them.

474
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,760
So Moses scolded the people in anger, right?

475
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:45,200
And then he struck the rock twice

476
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,440
rather than speaking to it as the Lord had commanded him,

477
00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,600
and so I know it's tough, right?

478
00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,560
But Moses and Aaron then were indicted by the Lord

479
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:55,580
for their lack of faith,

480
00:19:55,580 --> 00:19:58,000
for doing what they were not commanded to do,

481
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,720
and for their lack of reverence before the people.

482
00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,160
And so neither were permitted to lead Israel

483
00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:04,040
into the promised land.

484
00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:05,920
Aaron dies soon after this,

485
00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,040
and Moses too will die outside of the land,

486
00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,400
and the task of bringing the Israelites

487
00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:15,240
into the promised land will fall to a man named Joshua.

488
00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:17,880
Joshua.

489
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,080
So that's the backdrop of Psalm 95.

490
00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,820
So hold onto those two stories in your head.

491
00:20:23,820 --> 00:20:26,420
Let's go back to Psalm 95 now,

492
00:20:26,420 --> 00:20:29,500
and let's see how that story fits in

493
00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,720
with verses one through six.

494
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,520
And trust me, we're gonna make a connection here at the end,

495
00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:35,540
so hang with me.

496
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,040
So back to Psalm 95.

497
00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:40,960
We're gonna start by taking an aerial view

498
00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:42,080
of the structure of the Psalm.

499
00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,040
We've been doing this almost every week.

500
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,640
Again, I don't expect your eyes to be this good,

501
00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:47,880
but I'm one of those people

502
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:49,500
who likes to draw lines in my Bible

503
00:20:49,500 --> 00:20:52,480
to sort of parse it out and to say,

504
00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:55,260
here's the basic flow.

505
00:20:55,260 --> 00:20:57,840
So there's three lines there that you can draw

506
00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,280
between verses two and three,

507
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,080
verses five and six, and verses six and seven.

508
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,200
We just covered that bottom section.

509
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,800
That's the warning part of the Psalm.

510
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,560
And then we'll get to the rest here as we walk through it.

511
00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,760
So you see there are two calls to worship.

512
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,320
Two calls to worship, and then two reasons why

513
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:18,880
we're being called to worship.

514
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,360
It's actually nicely laid out.

515
00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:25,760
In verses one to six, you see the phrase, come let us.

516
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,200
Those are calls to worship.

517
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,460
And verses three and seven begin with the word for,

518
00:21:30,460 --> 00:21:33,180
which is a transition word that basically says,

519
00:21:33,180 --> 00:21:36,460
I'm about to explain what was just said.

520
00:21:36,460 --> 00:21:38,980
Do this for, here comes the reason.

521
00:21:38,980 --> 00:21:39,980
Does that make sense?

522
00:21:41,140 --> 00:21:42,660
By the way, perhaps you've noticed this,

523
00:21:42,660 --> 00:21:46,380
but every Sunday at Oak Hill, we do a call to worship

524
00:21:46,380 --> 00:21:48,980
because we're following the pattern we see in scripture.

525
00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:50,100
We think this is very important.

526
00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:51,780
It's done by design.

527
00:21:51,780 --> 00:21:53,580
When we come together here on Sundays,

528
00:21:53,580 --> 00:21:56,620
we wanna begin by calling this congregation

529
00:21:56,620 --> 00:21:58,460
to hear the word of the Lord,

530
00:21:58,460 --> 00:22:01,300
and then to enter into singing praises to him.

531
00:22:01,300 --> 00:22:02,980
And so we do that on purpose.

532
00:22:02,980 --> 00:22:06,460
So don't miss that, and try not to walk in late

533
00:22:06,460 --> 00:22:08,580
so that you miss the call to worship because it matters.

534
00:22:08,580 --> 00:22:11,620
It's the pattern that God has given us in his word.

535
00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:15,540
Okay, so look at verse one of Psalm 95,

536
00:22:15,540 --> 00:22:17,580
the first call to worship.

537
00:22:17,580 --> 00:22:20,860
Oh, come let us sing for joy to the Lord.

538
00:22:20,860 --> 00:22:23,760
Let us shout joyfully.

539
00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:25,580
Now I know some translations,

540
00:22:25,580 --> 00:22:27,780
this is where that funny phrase is,

541
00:22:27,780 --> 00:22:30,500
make a joyful noise comes in.

542
00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:32,620
The NASB says shout joyfully,

543
00:22:32,620 --> 00:22:35,940
but your translation may say make a joyful noise.

544
00:22:35,940 --> 00:22:39,040
And everybody who can't sing like me, we love that.

545
00:22:39,940 --> 00:22:42,300
I cannot sing a lick.

546
00:22:42,300 --> 00:22:45,020
I mean, I'll belt it out anyway, sorry about that.

547
00:22:45,020 --> 00:22:47,060
But make a joyful noise.

548
00:22:47,060 --> 00:22:48,680
That's basically what he says here.

549
00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,540
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

550
00:22:52,540 --> 00:22:56,260
Let us come before or let us come into his presence

551
00:22:56,260 --> 00:22:57,300
with what?

552
00:22:57,300 --> 00:22:59,080
With thanksgiving.

553
00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,580
Let us shout joyfully to him with Psalms.

554
00:23:01,580 --> 00:23:03,460
Now that's the NAS says Psalms,

555
00:23:03,460 --> 00:23:06,800
your translation may say songs of praise,

556
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,140
which is what we've already done this morning.

557
00:23:09,140 --> 00:23:10,820
So a few things jump off the page here

558
00:23:10,820 --> 00:23:12,220
in these first two verses.

559
00:23:12,220 --> 00:23:16,260
First, four times you see the phrase let us, right?

560
00:23:16,260 --> 00:23:18,140
It's a plural number.

561
00:23:18,140 --> 00:23:20,100
And that is obviously intended to show us

562
00:23:20,100 --> 00:23:22,500
that worship should be a consistent part

563
00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:24,900
of the life that we live together.

564
00:23:24,900 --> 00:23:29,660
It's something we do collectively and congregationally.

565
00:23:29,660 --> 00:23:32,780
Worship should be collective and congregational.

566
00:23:32,780 --> 00:23:36,740
Now that's not to disparage personal individual worship.

567
00:23:36,740 --> 00:23:38,680
You can and should do that as well.

568
00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:42,340
I hope you worship the Lord individually each and every day,

569
00:23:42,340 --> 00:23:44,660
but there is something special,

570
00:23:44,660 --> 00:23:49,660
special to God and special for us to gather together, right?

571
00:23:49,660 --> 00:23:52,620
And as Peter puts it to be those living stones

572
00:23:52,620 --> 00:23:55,060
that are built up as a spiritual house

573
00:23:55,060 --> 00:23:58,380
that offers spiritual sacrifices to God.

574
00:23:58,380 --> 00:23:59,200
How?

575
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,300
By our lifting our hearts, by lifting our minds

576
00:24:02,300 --> 00:24:05,700
and lifting our voices to him because we're his people.

577
00:24:05,700 --> 00:24:07,620
And so there's something special in that.

578
00:24:07,620 --> 00:24:10,160
And that's what the Psalmist is talking about here,

579
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:11,900
collective and congregational.

580
00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:13,900
Second thing you see here in these verses

581
00:24:13,900 --> 00:24:18,900
is that the congregational worship being promoted is vocal,

582
00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:21,160
is to be done out loud together.

583
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,820
Again, I know not everybody sings well.

584
00:24:23,820 --> 00:24:28,780
We're still called to be vocal, to sing out loud.

585
00:24:28,780 --> 00:24:31,500
I mean, first you see the word sing in verse one.

586
00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:34,500
That means actual sound coming from your lips.

587
00:24:34,500 --> 00:24:36,100
And then you see the word shout twice.

588
00:24:36,100 --> 00:24:37,980
So I don't think you can make the argument

589
00:24:37,980 --> 00:24:41,140
that this form of worship is anything but vocal.

590
00:24:41,140 --> 00:24:42,780
If you're gonna make a joyful noise,

591
00:24:42,780 --> 00:24:45,860
you gotta make a noise, right?

592
00:24:45,860 --> 00:24:48,380
And listen, I know, I've known many, many people

593
00:24:48,380 --> 00:24:49,500
in the church over the years.

594
00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:51,460
If you're as old as me, you have too.

595
00:24:51,460 --> 00:24:52,980
People who say, well, Jeff, you know,

596
00:24:52,980 --> 00:24:55,860
I know I look quiet in stoic during the worship time,

597
00:24:55,860 --> 00:24:58,760
but trust me, I'm worshiping in my heart.

598
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:00,660
I've heard that so many times.

599
00:25:00,660 --> 00:25:01,740
And that's great if it's true.

600
00:25:01,740 --> 00:25:03,700
I hope you are worshiping in your heart,

601
00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:07,700
but sometimes I wonder if that's just a convenient excuse

602
00:25:07,700 --> 00:25:10,220
not to sing out loud for whatever personal reason.

603
00:25:10,220 --> 00:25:12,820
Again, maybe you don't sing well and you're embarrassed.

604
00:25:12,820 --> 00:25:15,020
That's not a good reason.

605
00:25:15,020 --> 00:25:15,940
It's just not a good reason.

606
00:25:15,940 --> 00:25:20,140
Or more likely an excuse for not wanting to show emotion

607
00:25:20,140 --> 00:25:21,980
before other people because culturally

608
00:25:21,980 --> 00:25:23,540
we're uncomfortable with that.

609
00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:25,580
Whatever that might be.

610
00:25:25,580 --> 00:25:27,840
But take careful note of these verses.

611
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,540
The psalmist is strongly exhorting us here.

612
00:25:30,540 --> 00:25:33,700
So any discomfort we have in singing,

613
00:25:33,700 --> 00:25:37,140
any discomfort we have in singing out loud

614
00:25:37,140 --> 00:25:39,740
and showing emotion, we need to work at that.

615
00:25:39,740 --> 00:25:43,680
We need to overcome that for the sake of obedience.

616
00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:47,140
And I mean that because it's a strong exhortation.

617
00:25:47,140 --> 00:25:50,140
Third thing you see here is that our worship

618
00:25:50,140 --> 00:25:52,560
should be joyful and exuberant.

619
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:53,900
Listen, look at the language.

620
00:25:53,900 --> 00:25:58,900
Psalm 95 is not describing subdued praise or somber praise.

621
00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,200
This is not just mumbling through a few songs

622
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:03,540
so we can get to the sermon.

623
00:26:05,020 --> 00:26:06,760
As good as the sermon may be.

624
00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:07,600
Right?

625
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:09,820
I mean, as much as I look forward to the sermon,

626
00:26:09,820 --> 00:26:11,500
it's not about, hey, if we can just mumble

627
00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:14,640
through these songs, let's just get on with it.

628
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,340
If that's your heart's attitude,

629
00:26:16,340 --> 00:26:19,520
you're missing out on a great blessing.

630
00:26:20,660 --> 00:26:21,500
Okay?

631
00:26:21,500 --> 00:26:23,660
This is focused, enthusiastic worship

632
00:26:23,660 --> 00:26:25,580
and it's peppered with thanksgiving.

633
00:26:26,620 --> 00:26:28,380
Catch this, the expression translated here,

634
00:26:28,380 --> 00:26:31,820
shout joyfully, comes from a Hebrew word

635
00:26:31,820 --> 00:26:34,900
that describes the raising of a war cry

636
00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:38,100
or the cry of triumph after a victory in battle.

637
00:26:38,100 --> 00:26:41,820
It is anything but quiet and subdued.

638
00:26:41,820 --> 00:26:42,940
And I think God is honored.

639
00:26:42,940 --> 00:26:46,620
When his people come before him happy and enthusiastic,

640
00:26:46,620 --> 00:26:48,580
I think the Lord is pleased with that.

641
00:26:48,580 --> 00:26:50,420
Rather than looking down and seeing us,

642
00:26:50,420 --> 00:26:53,500
you know, looking all mopey and mumbling through songs

643
00:26:53,500 --> 00:26:55,560
where our heart really isn't in it,

644
00:26:56,420 --> 00:26:58,020
we should be happy and enthusiastic.

645
00:26:58,020 --> 00:27:00,300
Now listen, as a caveat to that,

646
00:27:00,300 --> 00:27:03,900
there is definitely a place for lamenting in worship.

647
00:27:04,820 --> 00:27:06,260
When it should be more somber,

648
00:27:06,260 --> 00:27:08,380
when we are being more reflective,

649
00:27:08,380 --> 00:27:10,860
but the dominant tone of our worship should be this,

650
00:27:10,860 --> 00:27:12,300
joyful and exuberant,

651
00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:15,620
because God's people have so much to shout about.

652
00:27:15,620 --> 00:27:18,380
If we understand who God is and what he's done for us,

653
00:27:18,380 --> 00:27:20,580
we have so much to shout about.

654
00:27:20,580 --> 00:27:21,980
I wanna give you a quote from a guy named,

655
00:27:21,980 --> 00:27:24,300
you know this guy, James Montgomery Boyce,

656
00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:25,940
a great quote about this Psalm.

657
00:27:25,940 --> 00:27:29,980
And trigger warning, this quote may bother some of you,

658
00:27:29,980 --> 00:27:31,860
but I think it's true and I think it's helpful.

659
00:27:31,860 --> 00:27:33,480
He says this,

660
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:37,380
singing expresses human thought emotionally

661
00:27:37,380 --> 00:27:40,460
and Christianity is a feeling religion.

662
00:27:42,700 --> 00:27:44,260
Somebody steady me here.

663
00:27:45,140 --> 00:27:46,980
You mean we can feel things?

664
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,020
In conservative Bible teaching churches like ours,

665
00:27:51,020 --> 00:27:54,060
that can be a trigger for some people.

666
00:27:54,060 --> 00:27:56,720
The idea that we can be emotional

667
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:57,980
is uncomfortable for some of us.

668
00:27:57,980 --> 00:28:00,180
It shouldn't be, but it is.

669
00:28:00,180 --> 00:28:01,740
He goes on to say more particularly,

670
00:28:01,740 --> 00:28:04,980
singing expresses joy and the Bible's religion

671
00:28:04,980 --> 00:28:07,140
at its heart is joyful.

672
00:28:07,140 --> 00:28:08,580
You cannot argue with that.

673
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:12,420
And just add on to that, yes,

674
00:28:12,420 --> 00:28:15,540
I affirm that Christianity is a word-based faith.

675
00:28:15,540 --> 00:28:18,860
Truth is absolutely essential to what we trust in.

676
00:28:18,860 --> 00:28:23,180
In fact, truth is what grounds the words that we sing,

677
00:28:23,180 --> 00:28:25,380
but that doesn't preclude us from expressing

678
00:28:25,380 --> 00:28:27,980
our deep feelings for the Lord in worship,

679
00:28:27,980 --> 00:28:31,660
because of who he is and because of what he's done for us.

680
00:28:32,700 --> 00:28:34,980
All right, I'll let that one sit.

681
00:28:34,980 --> 00:28:36,700
Fourth thing, last thing,

682
00:28:36,700 --> 00:28:38,620
is that the worship being described here

683
00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:40,900
is radically God-centered.

684
00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:42,720
And this is a necessary correction

685
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,940
for so much of what passes for evangelical worship today.

686
00:28:46,940 --> 00:28:49,000
It's radically God-centered.

687
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,280
So although we should be exuberant in our emotions,

688
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:53,520
this is so important, now listen,

689
00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:55,880
we should be exuberant in our emotions,

690
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,260
the object of our singing and shouting

691
00:28:58,260 --> 00:29:00,480
is not to feed our emotions.

692
00:29:02,020 --> 00:29:04,600
That's where the church often falls into error.

693
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:09,140
The object of our worship is the Lord, not our emotions.

694
00:29:10,060 --> 00:29:12,260
So the congregation of Israel is not being encouraged

695
00:29:12,260 --> 00:29:13,780
to just get excited

696
00:29:13,780 --> 00:29:16,900
through some type of self-energized enthusiasm.

697
00:29:17,900 --> 00:29:20,140
The call here isn't to go into worship

698
00:29:20,140 --> 00:29:22,920
and have a worship experience,

699
00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,820
but that's often what the church teaches today.

700
00:29:25,820 --> 00:29:27,820
The object of worship is the Lord himself.

701
00:29:27,820 --> 00:29:30,120
It's the greatness and the goodness of God

702
00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:32,940
that brings about the singing and the shouting

703
00:29:32,940 --> 00:29:34,380
and the adoration.

704
00:29:34,380 --> 00:29:35,980
So we gotta make sure we correct that.

705
00:29:35,980 --> 00:29:37,780
If we're just coming, I wanna go on Sunday

706
00:29:37,780 --> 00:29:40,080
and have this great worship experience.

707
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,720
No, no, no, you wanna go and meet with God.

708
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:44,820
And if God produces that emotion in you,

709
00:29:44,820 --> 00:29:47,820
let it out because it's from him.

710
00:29:47,820 --> 00:29:48,740
That make sense?

711
00:29:50,060 --> 00:29:51,540
And so the psalmist says in verse two,

712
00:29:51,540 --> 00:29:53,540
let us enter into his presence.

713
00:29:53,540 --> 00:29:55,820
And of course, God is present everywhere, right?

714
00:29:55,820 --> 00:29:59,300
But he is uniquely present whenever we gather together

715
00:29:59,300 --> 00:30:00,900
to honor him.

716
00:30:00,900 --> 00:30:02,500
So this is really important as we sing

717
00:30:02,500 --> 00:30:04,600
because I think sometimes we don't fully understand

718
00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,140
what we're doing in the singing part of a worship service.

719
00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:10,540
It's important they're aware of the fact

720
00:30:10,540 --> 00:30:11,740
that he is present,

721
00:30:12,940 --> 00:30:15,080
that we have a conscious sense of his presence

722
00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:16,260
when we sing praises.

723
00:30:17,300 --> 00:30:19,300
Sometimes I see folks stumble into the service

724
00:30:19,300 --> 00:30:22,140
here on Sundays and they're coming in so casually,

725
00:30:22,140 --> 00:30:23,740
sometimes late, sometimes frazzled,

726
00:30:23,740 --> 00:30:25,860
and I get it, life is hard.

727
00:30:25,860 --> 00:30:27,620
But they're missing that sacred sense

728
00:30:27,620 --> 00:30:30,220
that as I come in and as we sing,

729
00:30:30,220 --> 00:30:32,980
we are coming into the presence of Almighty God.

730
00:30:32,980 --> 00:30:34,100
Here's the thing, you have to understand,

731
00:30:34,100 --> 00:30:36,260
when we sing lyrics,

732
00:30:36,260 --> 00:30:38,500
we're not singing them into the ether.

733
00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:42,540
They're not just, they just rattle around the room

734
00:30:42,540 --> 00:30:43,980
and that's it.

735
00:30:43,980 --> 00:30:46,220
We're not just singing for the sake of singing.

736
00:30:46,220 --> 00:30:47,840
The words that flow from our hearts

737
00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:49,300
and come through our lips

738
00:30:49,300 --> 00:30:51,960
are like offerings before God's throne.

739
00:30:53,180 --> 00:30:54,540
Think about that.

740
00:30:54,540 --> 00:30:55,700
When you sing to the Lord,

741
00:30:55,700 --> 00:30:58,100
you're bringing an offering to him.

742
00:30:58,100 --> 00:30:59,860
So why would you mumble through it?

743
00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:01,960
Right?

744
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,100
Why would you be distracted?

745
00:31:04,220 --> 00:31:06,580
Why would you not sing with passion?

746
00:31:06,580 --> 00:31:08,260
Because it's an offering.

747
00:31:08,260 --> 00:31:11,220
And so what we do is we take those lyrics

748
00:31:11,220 --> 00:31:13,900
and we believe them for ourselves

749
00:31:13,900 --> 00:31:15,740
and we say, Lord, this is true about me

750
00:31:15,740 --> 00:31:18,300
and so I'm lifting this up to you as we sing.

751
00:31:18,300 --> 00:31:21,020
All of that is happening in this transaction

752
00:31:21,020 --> 00:31:22,520
of what we call worship.

753
00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:24,980
It's actually more beautiful

754
00:31:24,980 --> 00:31:26,860
and larger than you can imagine.

755
00:31:27,820 --> 00:31:29,180
But renew your minds on this

756
00:31:29,180 --> 00:31:30,060
so that when you come in,

757
00:31:30,060 --> 00:31:32,300
you're understanding all that is taking place

758
00:31:32,300 --> 00:31:33,820
as we sing praises.

759
00:31:33,820 --> 00:31:35,260
It's important they're aware,

760
00:31:35,260 --> 00:31:37,880
that we're aware of that true and vital connection

761
00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:39,620
that we have with God when we sing.

762
00:31:41,020 --> 00:31:43,700
Okay, we're gonna move quickly through verses three through

763
00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:46,380
five because they're pretty self-explanatory.

764
00:31:46,380 --> 00:31:49,980
But what I want you to see here is three through five

765
00:31:49,980 --> 00:31:53,400
are the first set of reasons why we should worship

766
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:54,260
in this way.

767
00:31:55,460 --> 00:31:56,300
This is important.

768
00:31:56,300 --> 00:31:57,660
I love that the psalmist does this.

769
00:31:57,660 --> 00:32:00,220
He's grounding his command of worship

770
00:32:00,220 --> 00:32:02,660
in theological truth.

771
00:32:02,660 --> 00:32:04,040
Make sure you hear that.

772
00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:06,700
He's not just saying sing for a motion sake.

773
00:32:06,700 --> 00:32:11,000
He's saying sing because these things are true about God.

774
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,820
Look at verse three.

775
00:32:12,820 --> 00:32:15,120
The first one is God's sovereignty.

776
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:17,220
For the Lord is a great God

777
00:32:17,220 --> 00:32:19,740
and a great King above all gods.

778
00:32:19,740 --> 00:32:21,500
That's about as straightforward as it gets, right?

779
00:32:21,500 --> 00:32:23,940
He sovereignly rules over all things,

780
00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:26,360
including the so-called gods and the nations,

781
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:27,460
which aren't really gods,

782
00:32:27,460 --> 00:32:29,240
even though people worship them.

783
00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,860
Do we see people worshiping their gods today?

784
00:32:31,860 --> 00:32:34,720
Of course we do, even though they're not gods.

785
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:36,220
Regardless of what foolish people do,

786
00:32:36,220 --> 00:32:37,940
there is only one true King.

787
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,100
And he sovereignly rules over all of creation.

788
00:32:41,100 --> 00:32:43,500
And that's the truth you see in verses four and five.

789
00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:46,780
Here's a second reason to worship.

790
00:32:46,780 --> 00:32:50,220
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,

791
00:32:50,220 --> 00:32:53,380
the peaks or the heights of the mountains are his also.

792
00:32:53,380 --> 00:32:56,100
The sea is his, for it was he who made it

793
00:32:56,100 --> 00:32:58,980
and his hands formed the dry land.

794
00:32:58,980 --> 00:33:00,660
Again, very straightforward, right?

795
00:33:00,660 --> 00:33:02,500
Yahweh's the creator of everything,

796
00:33:02,500 --> 00:33:04,780
from the lowest point to the highest point.

797
00:33:04,780 --> 00:33:07,460
From Death Valley to Mount Everest,

798
00:33:07,460 --> 00:33:09,300
Yahweh rules over all of it.

799
00:33:09,300 --> 00:33:12,620
And from the surface of the water to the deepest trench,

800
00:33:12,620 --> 00:33:15,660
which human beings have not even gotten

801
00:33:15,660 --> 00:33:17,660
to the deepest trenches of the ocean.

802
00:33:19,140 --> 00:33:20,420
God is present there too.

803
00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:22,380
He created it all.

804
00:33:22,380 --> 00:33:24,460
It all belongs to him.

805
00:33:24,460 --> 00:33:26,100
So the point of verses three through five

806
00:33:26,100 --> 00:33:29,100
is to raise the question, who is like Yahweh?

807
00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:31,900
And the answer is, there is none.

808
00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:33,780
There is none.

809
00:33:33,780 --> 00:33:35,420
Who's able to form the land and the seas

810
00:33:35,420 --> 00:33:38,660
and the vastness of the universe out of nothing?

811
00:33:39,740 --> 00:33:42,460
There's nothing, and suddenly there's a universe

812
00:33:42,460 --> 00:33:44,300
that human beings can't even fathom

813
00:33:44,300 --> 00:33:46,180
simply by speaking it into existence.

814
00:33:46,180 --> 00:33:47,700
Who is like Yahweh?

815
00:33:48,660 --> 00:33:49,500
That's the point here.

816
00:33:49,500 --> 00:33:51,340
Only our God.

817
00:33:51,340 --> 00:33:52,940
Only he is that way.

818
00:33:52,940 --> 00:33:57,020
And that's the reason that we worship, the psalmist says.

819
00:33:57,020 --> 00:33:58,540
How can you walk in and go,

820
00:33:58,540 --> 00:34:01,180
I'm in the presence of this being who made all these things

821
00:34:01,180 --> 00:34:02,820
and mumble through songs?

822
00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:06,260
How do you do that?

823
00:34:06,260 --> 00:34:08,260
Unless you're just not renewing your mind,

824
00:34:08,260 --> 00:34:13,220
you're not having that awareness of what's going on.

825
00:34:13,220 --> 00:34:14,900
Okay, beat that dead horse, right?

826
00:34:14,900 --> 00:34:16,780
Okay, verse six.

827
00:34:16,780 --> 00:34:18,660
A second call to worship.

828
00:34:20,380 --> 00:34:21,740
He comes back to it.

829
00:34:21,740 --> 00:34:23,300
Come, let us worship and bow down.

830
00:34:23,300 --> 00:34:26,140
Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.

831
00:34:26,140 --> 00:34:29,660
Now, hear the tone of the worship changes, doesn't it?

832
00:34:29,660 --> 00:34:32,580
We went from exuberant, joyful singing,

833
00:34:32,580 --> 00:34:34,860
probably in a standing posture,

834
00:34:34,860 --> 00:34:36,780
maybe even with hands raised,

835
00:34:36,780 --> 00:34:40,500
to here bowing down and kneeling before God.

836
00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:43,580
Last one, with great humility and reverence.

837
00:34:44,620 --> 00:34:46,340
Humility and reverence.

838
00:34:48,220 --> 00:34:50,540
And here's a truth that most human beings don't understand,

839
00:34:50,540 --> 00:34:52,740
but as Christians, we should understand this.

840
00:34:52,740 --> 00:34:57,140
It is our duty and obligation as created beings

841
00:34:57,140 --> 00:34:59,660
to bow before our maker.

842
00:34:59,660 --> 00:35:01,180
It's a duty, it's an obligation.

843
00:35:01,180 --> 00:35:03,100
It's something you can lay on every single person

844
00:35:03,100 --> 00:35:03,940
that you meet.

845
00:35:03,940 --> 00:35:06,100
You have a duty and an obligation

846
00:35:06,100 --> 00:35:07,900
because you are a contingent being.

847
00:35:07,900 --> 00:35:09,740
You didn't create your existence.

848
00:35:09,740 --> 00:35:12,060
You can't sustain your existence.

849
00:35:12,060 --> 00:35:15,940
You have a duty and an obligation to worship your maker.

850
00:35:17,820 --> 00:35:18,940
Know that.

851
00:35:18,940 --> 00:35:20,180
Without him, we don't exist.

852
00:35:20,180 --> 00:35:23,220
Without him, we don't get another breath.

853
00:35:23,220 --> 00:35:25,020
And so he's owed the worship and praise

854
00:35:25,020 --> 00:35:27,460
described in this psalm.

855
00:35:27,460 --> 00:35:29,140
And then comes what I think is the best news

856
00:35:29,140 --> 00:35:30,020
of the whole psalm.

857
00:35:30,020 --> 00:35:33,980
Verse seven is another reason why we must worship.

858
00:35:33,980 --> 00:35:37,900
For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture

859
00:35:37,900 --> 00:35:39,500
and the sheep of his hand.

860
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:42,100
So catch the progression here on this.

861
00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:44,380
First we read that God is great,

862
00:35:44,380 --> 00:35:47,300
then that he's a king, then that he's the creator,

863
00:35:47,300 --> 00:35:49,540
then that he's the maker of all human beings,

864
00:35:49,540 --> 00:35:51,580
but now in verse seven, look how personal it gets.

865
00:35:51,580 --> 00:35:52,580
He's our God.

866
00:35:52,580 --> 00:35:57,020
He's not just the God, that's true, but he is our God.

867
00:35:57,980 --> 00:36:00,180
And then you have this metaphor of the good shepherd, right?

868
00:36:00,180 --> 00:36:03,380
Which so beautifully draws the picture for us.

869
00:36:03,380 --> 00:36:07,020
This God who is so transcendent and so powerful

870
00:36:07,020 --> 00:36:10,620
that he can make things ex nihilo from nothing,

871
00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:12,700
bring the universe into being.

872
00:36:12,700 --> 00:36:16,820
And yet he's also a gentle shepherd who knows your name,

873
00:36:17,860 --> 00:36:22,140
knows his sheep, who leads us out into good pasture

874
00:36:22,140 --> 00:36:24,500
and cares for each of us in a personal way.

875
00:36:24,500 --> 00:36:27,300
How is that possible that a God can be that transcendent

876
00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:28,420
and that close?

877
00:36:29,340 --> 00:36:30,380
Who is like Yahweh?

878
00:36:31,620 --> 00:36:32,460
None.

879
00:36:32,460 --> 00:36:35,460
And of course, Jesus claims this very title for himself,

880
00:36:35,460 --> 00:36:36,540
doesn't he?

881
00:36:36,540 --> 00:36:38,900
In John chapter 10, Jesus claims it.

882
00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:40,900
I am the good shepherd, he says.

883
00:36:40,900 --> 00:36:43,180
And I know my own and my own know me.

884
00:36:43,180 --> 00:36:45,740
Even as the father knows me and I know the father,

885
00:36:45,740 --> 00:36:49,340
and I lay down my life for the sheep.

886
00:36:50,940 --> 00:36:52,860
So look at that list on the screen.

887
00:36:52,860 --> 00:36:56,660
Step back now, look at these six verses from above.

888
00:36:56,660 --> 00:36:59,500
It's important to recognize this is the type of worship

889
00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:01,340
that God desires.

890
00:37:01,340 --> 00:37:03,260
And it's good for us to do some analysis.

891
00:37:03,260 --> 00:37:05,020
How am I doing?

892
00:37:05,020 --> 00:37:07,580
How am I doing in terms of obeying this?

893
00:37:08,940 --> 00:37:12,300
Joyfully, exuberantly, with thanksgiving,

894
00:37:12,300 --> 00:37:14,860
sung to our creator and king, and then second,

895
00:37:14,860 --> 00:37:17,740
humbly and reverently before our good shepherd.

896
00:37:18,660 --> 00:37:20,940
Both are required of us, amen?

897
00:37:22,300 --> 00:37:25,300
All right, now how do we put all this together?

898
00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:28,620
Give me some time now to make some connections here

899
00:37:28,620 --> 00:37:32,620
and to lay out some practical applications for us.

900
00:37:32,620 --> 00:37:35,180
Here's the, in its simplest terms,

901
00:37:35,180 --> 00:37:37,900
here's the connection between these two sections.

902
00:37:37,900 --> 00:37:41,020
Section on worship and the warning.

903
00:37:41,020 --> 00:37:43,940
Psalm 95 presents two options to us.

904
00:37:43,940 --> 00:37:45,980
Either be a people who worships the Lord

905
00:37:45,980 --> 00:37:49,700
with joy and reverence, or be a people who grumble

906
00:37:49,700 --> 00:37:51,500
and harden their hearts against him.

907
00:37:52,300 --> 00:37:55,260
I mean, just in the simplest, most stark terms,

908
00:37:55,260 --> 00:37:57,620
this is the option that's being given to us.

909
00:37:57,620 --> 00:38:00,020
We dare not fail to worship God properly

910
00:38:00,020 --> 00:38:03,700
because failure to worship is one of the principal causes

911
00:38:03,700 --> 00:38:04,820
of a hardened heart.

912
00:38:06,220 --> 00:38:08,460
If we're not worshiping properly,

913
00:38:08,460 --> 00:38:11,500
it's gonna lead to us having a hardened heart.

914
00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:12,700
That's the warning here.

915
00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:14,340
And we should take this seriously.

916
00:38:14,340 --> 00:38:17,180
By the way, notice how the Psalm ends.

917
00:38:17,180 --> 00:38:19,140
Where's the good news, man?

918
00:38:19,140 --> 00:38:20,700
Where's the happy ending?

919
00:38:21,900 --> 00:38:22,740
There is none.

920
00:38:22,740 --> 00:38:27,740
It's literally designed to leave you sober and warned.

921
00:38:30,860 --> 00:38:32,220
Make sure you see that.

922
00:38:33,420 --> 00:38:37,180
So what do the two incidents that Massa and Meribah tell us?

923
00:38:37,180 --> 00:38:39,900
Well, there's an interesting little detail that helps us.

924
00:38:39,900 --> 00:38:43,500
In the book of Deuteronomy, if you know Deuteronomy,

925
00:38:43,500 --> 00:38:48,500
Moses, he restates God's law to a new generation

926
00:38:48,820 --> 00:38:51,500
of Israelites before they go into the Promised Land.

927
00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:53,340
And in chapter eight of Deuteronomy,

928
00:38:53,340 --> 00:38:56,620
he looks back at these wilderness wanderings

929
00:38:56,620 --> 00:39:01,620
and he gives sort of a commentary on the purposes

930
00:39:01,860 --> 00:39:05,860
that God had in bringing his people through these 40 years.

931
00:39:05,860 --> 00:39:07,500
I mean, what was God doing?

932
00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:09,380
Why put them through that?

933
00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:10,220
Have you ever wondered that?

934
00:39:10,220 --> 00:39:11,340
You read the Exodus, you're like,

935
00:39:11,340 --> 00:39:14,020
why don't you zip up to the Promised Land?

936
00:39:14,020 --> 00:39:15,460
I mean, it's a straight shot,

937
00:39:15,460 --> 00:39:17,500
wouldn't it have taken you 40 years, right?

938
00:39:17,500 --> 00:39:18,740
Why all that?

939
00:39:18,740 --> 00:39:19,580
Right?

940
00:39:19,580 --> 00:39:20,420
Why all that?

941
00:39:21,620 --> 00:39:22,460
Right?

942
00:39:23,900 --> 00:39:25,740
It's a good question.

943
00:39:25,740 --> 00:39:26,860
Here's what he says.

944
00:39:28,140 --> 00:39:31,300
The key in this, and I'm gonna put this one on the screen.

945
00:39:31,300 --> 00:39:33,540
The key is God wanted to put his people

946
00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:36,020
into a situation of adversity.

947
00:39:37,780 --> 00:39:40,060
He sovereignly desired that.

948
00:39:40,060 --> 00:39:42,340
It says, all the commandments, this is Moses now,

949
00:39:42,340 --> 00:39:44,180
speaking to Israel, all the commandments

950
00:39:44,180 --> 00:39:47,260
that I'm commanding you today, you shall be careful to do,

951
00:39:47,260 --> 00:39:50,140
that you may live and multiply and go in and possess

952
00:39:50,140 --> 00:39:53,660
the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers.

953
00:39:53,660 --> 00:39:55,980
Now, here comes his lesson from history.

954
00:39:55,980 --> 00:39:59,260
You should remember all the ways which the Lord your God

955
00:39:59,260 --> 00:40:02,060
has led you in the wilderness these 40 years

956
00:40:02,060 --> 00:40:04,860
that he might, what, humble you.

957
00:40:06,660 --> 00:40:07,780
Were they humbled?

958
00:40:09,540 --> 00:40:11,740
Or did they grow more entitled,

959
00:40:11,740 --> 00:40:13,420
more angry and more grumbly?

960
00:40:13,420 --> 00:40:17,420
Then he goes on testing you to know what was in your heart,

961
00:40:17,420 --> 00:40:20,740
whether you would keep his commandments or not.

962
00:40:20,740 --> 00:40:24,460
By the way, what's the best way to test either people

963
00:40:24,460 --> 00:40:28,860
or things is to put them under pressure.

964
00:40:29,940 --> 00:40:32,460
In engineering, they call it a stress test, right?

965
00:40:32,460 --> 00:40:33,740
You put them under pressure.

966
00:40:33,740 --> 00:40:37,180
You put them into adversity because adversity brings out

967
00:40:37,180 --> 00:40:40,220
the true nature and character of a person.

968
00:40:40,220 --> 00:40:41,940
In fact, you hear, for you guys,

969
00:40:41,940 --> 00:40:45,460
who love sports, you hear this from championship athletes

970
00:40:45,460 --> 00:40:47,020
and coaches all the time, right?

971
00:40:47,020 --> 00:40:48,780
They'll get to the microphone and they'll go,

972
00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:50,540
well, you know, the beginning of the season,

973
00:40:50,540 --> 00:40:53,620
you know, we had some injuries and we lost some tough games,

974
00:40:53,620 --> 00:40:56,180
but you know what, that adversity made us stronger.

975
00:40:56,180 --> 00:40:58,860
We went through that period of adversity and boy,

976
00:40:58,860 --> 00:41:00,580
it brought out the best in us.

977
00:41:00,580 --> 00:41:01,980
Hear that all the time.

978
00:41:02,780 --> 00:41:05,020
But for the Israelites, the opposite was true.

979
00:41:05,820 --> 00:41:07,660
They got put into adversity and it brought out

980
00:41:07,660 --> 00:41:08,900
the worst in them.

981
00:41:08,900 --> 00:41:12,460
What was revealed was unbelief and disobedience.

982
00:41:12,460 --> 00:41:15,500
They interpreted every crisis that came their way

983
00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:17,500
as an occasion for their death

984
00:41:17,500 --> 00:41:19,420
rather than for their deliverance.

985
00:41:20,660 --> 00:41:23,740
Every one of them, oh, we're gonna die out here.

986
00:41:25,180 --> 00:41:27,860
They didn't like or appreciate the way God was leading them

987
00:41:27,860 --> 00:41:30,060
and definitely not through Moses and Aaron.

988
00:41:30,940 --> 00:41:32,140
They didn't like any of it.

989
00:41:33,500 --> 00:41:36,180
Now you might be thinking, and this struck me as well,

990
00:41:36,180 --> 00:41:39,700
well, it was pretty, I mean, it's pretty rough

991
00:41:39,700 --> 00:41:41,020
what they went through, right?

992
00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:43,020
The fact that God put them through that type

993
00:41:43,020 --> 00:41:46,460
of extreme testing, maybe that's not so fair.

994
00:41:46,460 --> 00:41:48,140
I mean, that might be your first gut reaction,

995
00:41:48,140 --> 00:41:50,420
but then Moses goes on to say,

996
00:41:50,420 --> 00:41:53,340
he humbled you and let you be hungry.

997
00:41:54,620 --> 00:41:57,980
He let you be hungry, but fed you with manna,

998
00:41:58,980 --> 00:42:01,700
which you did not know, nor did your fathers know,

999
00:42:01,700 --> 00:42:03,740
that he might make you understand.

1000
00:42:03,740 --> 00:42:06,340
That man does not live by bread alone,

1001
00:42:06,340 --> 00:42:08,700
but man lives by everything that proceeds

1002
00:42:08,700 --> 00:42:10,260
out of the mouth of the Lord.

1003
00:42:11,260 --> 00:42:13,460
So in spite of their grumbling and disobedience,

1004
00:42:13,460 --> 00:42:16,020
the Lord still never failed to provide for them.

1005
00:42:16,020 --> 00:42:18,140
God didn't abandon them in the wilderness and say,

1006
00:42:18,140 --> 00:42:19,660
well, good luck to you guys.

1007
00:42:19,660 --> 00:42:21,260
You're gonna die of hunger and thirst,

1008
00:42:21,260 --> 00:42:23,940
but them's the breaks.

1009
00:42:23,940 --> 00:42:27,100
No, he supernaturally led them,

1010
00:42:27,100 --> 00:42:29,620
and he graciously gave them everything they needed

1011
00:42:29,620 --> 00:42:30,460
to survive.

1012
00:42:30,460 --> 00:42:32,380
And here's the thing, here's what God knew

1013
00:42:32,380 --> 00:42:33,540
about these people.

1014
00:42:33,540 --> 00:42:36,420
They were not spiritually ready to just waltz

1015
00:42:36,420 --> 00:42:38,620
into the promised land and take it over.

1016
00:42:39,580 --> 00:42:41,300
They weren't mature enough.

1017
00:42:41,300 --> 00:42:43,580
Listen, he could have given them that easy way.

1018
00:42:43,580 --> 00:42:45,660
You know, he could have sent a plague into Canaan,

1019
00:42:45,660 --> 00:42:49,100
wiped out the Canaanites, and then said to the Israelites,

1020
00:42:49,100 --> 00:42:51,220
well, just make a beeline for the border.

1021
00:42:51,220 --> 00:42:54,380
You'll be up there in a year, and just take it over,

1022
00:42:54,380 --> 00:42:55,220
just move in.

1023
00:42:55,220 --> 00:42:56,060
And he did that.

1024
00:42:56,060 --> 00:42:56,900
He did that.

1025
00:42:56,900 --> 00:42:57,740
He did that.

1026
00:42:57,740 --> 00:43:00,820
He did that, and just take it over, just move in.

1027
00:43:00,820 --> 00:43:03,340
But would that have been good for them?

1028
00:43:03,340 --> 00:43:05,060
Absolutely not.

1029
00:43:05,060 --> 00:43:06,660
They weren't ready.

1030
00:43:06,660 --> 00:43:07,740
Because if that had happened,

1031
00:43:07,740 --> 00:43:10,620
they wouldn't have had to trust in God at all.

1032
00:43:12,820 --> 00:43:16,100
And that would have led to even more sin once they arrived

1033
00:43:16,100 --> 00:43:19,540
and more spiritual failure and more falling away.

1034
00:43:19,540 --> 00:43:21,340
So those 40 years, God knew,

1035
00:43:21,340 --> 00:43:23,460
were necessary for their testing.

1036
00:43:23,460 --> 00:43:26,020
God needed those 40 years to show them something

1037
00:43:26,020 --> 00:43:29,500
about themselves, to see their own hearts.

1038
00:43:29,500 --> 00:43:31,620
And because they refused to trust God

1039
00:43:31,620 --> 00:43:33,540
in the midst of the adversity, he said,

1040
00:43:33,540 --> 00:43:37,380
I swear in my wrath that you will not find my rest.

1041
00:43:39,140 --> 00:43:41,820
It's an irrevocable, I swear, God says.

1042
00:43:41,820 --> 00:43:42,700
It's irrevocable.

1043
00:43:42,700 --> 00:43:45,940
You will not enter my rest.

1044
00:43:45,940 --> 00:43:47,180
So here's a lesson for us,

1045
00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:49,660
and it's right there in the text.

1046
00:43:49,660 --> 00:43:51,540
Today, do not harden your hearts.

1047
00:43:53,020 --> 00:43:54,740
End of verse seven, beginning of verse eight.

1048
00:43:54,740 --> 00:43:58,420
Today, do not harden your hearts.

1049
00:43:58,420 --> 00:44:00,780
And now, listen, if you've been thinking this whole time,

1050
00:44:00,780 --> 00:44:03,300
well, this is just Old Testament stuff.

1051
00:44:03,300 --> 00:44:04,220
Doesn't apply to us.

1052
00:44:04,220 --> 00:44:05,380
Let me set you straight.

1053
00:44:06,660 --> 00:44:10,180
First of all, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10

1054
00:44:10,180 --> 00:44:11,500
that this entire story

1055
00:44:11,500 --> 00:44:13,860
about the Israelites' wilderness wanderings

1056
00:44:13,860 --> 00:44:16,620
was given to us so that we might learn from it.

1057
00:44:16,620 --> 00:44:19,340
1 Corinthians 10, six, Paul says,

1058
00:44:19,340 --> 00:44:23,020
these things happened as an example for us,

1059
00:44:23,020 --> 00:44:24,780
New Testament Christians.

1060
00:44:25,620 --> 00:44:28,100
So we can't just write this off as Old Covenant.

1061
00:44:29,580 --> 00:44:30,740
It was written for us.

1062
00:44:30,740 --> 00:44:32,940
Second, you should know that the author of Hebrews

1063
00:44:32,940 --> 00:44:36,660
cites the entire warning section of Psalm 95

1064
00:44:36,660 --> 00:44:39,660
in his first century letter, the entire thing.

1065
00:44:39,660 --> 00:44:43,140
In fact, scholars consider Hebrews use of Psalm 95

1066
00:44:43,140 --> 00:44:45,620
as the single most thorough citing

1067
00:44:45,620 --> 00:44:49,020
of any Old Testament passage in the New Testament.

1068
00:44:49,020 --> 00:44:50,820
Three times in two chapters,

1069
00:44:50,820 --> 00:44:53,700
the author of Hebrews comes back to this story.

1070
00:44:53,700 --> 00:44:55,060
It's important for us.

1071
00:44:55,060 --> 00:44:56,860
It's important for the church.

1072
00:44:56,860 --> 00:44:58,940
And it was the perfect warning for that day.

1073
00:44:58,940 --> 00:45:00,820
If you know the backstory of the book of Hebrews,

1074
00:45:00,820 --> 00:45:03,380
you know what was going on, right?

1075
00:45:03,380 --> 00:45:05,620
The author is writing to this group of,

1076
00:45:05,620 --> 00:45:07,620
get this now, Jewish Christians,

1077
00:45:07,620 --> 00:45:10,500
Jewish followers of Jesus, right?

1078
00:45:10,500 --> 00:45:12,260
That's who he's writing to.

1079
00:45:12,260 --> 00:45:15,380
And they're in the midst of really, really tough things.

1080
00:45:15,380 --> 00:45:19,100
They are in the midst of pressure and adversity.

1081
00:45:19,100 --> 00:45:22,740
Their fellow Jews who had refused to trust in Christ

1082
00:45:22,740 --> 00:45:24,900
were now persecuting them.

1083
00:45:24,900 --> 00:45:26,780
And some were falling away.

1084
00:45:26,780 --> 00:45:28,300
Many were in danger.

1085
00:45:28,300 --> 00:45:29,980
And a lot of them were thinking to themselves,

1086
00:45:29,980 --> 00:45:33,620
you know what, maybe we should just go back to Judaism.

1087
00:45:33,620 --> 00:45:34,540
It's easier.

1088
00:45:35,420 --> 00:45:37,700
You know, I don't need this.

1089
00:45:37,700 --> 00:45:38,900
I'm trying to follow Christ,

1090
00:45:38,900 --> 00:45:41,940
but my family, my friends, my synagogue,

1091
00:45:41,940 --> 00:45:43,580
they're all giving me a hard time.

1092
00:45:43,580 --> 00:45:44,860
I fear for my life.

1093
00:45:44,860 --> 00:45:46,340
Maybe I'll just go back to Judaism.

1094
00:45:46,340 --> 00:45:47,580
That's where it's safer.

1095
00:45:47,580 --> 00:45:50,060
Does that sound familiar?

1096
00:45:50,060 --> 00:45:53,180
Israelites said, maybe we just go back to Egypt.

1097
00:45:53,180 --> 00:45:54,580
I know it means slavery, but you know,

1098
00:45:54,580 --> 00:45:55,420
there's comfort there.

1099
00:45:55,420 --> 00:45:56,860
There's security there.

1100
00:45:58,500 --> 00:46:01,060
So that's why the author of Hebrews

1101
00:46:01,060 --> 00:46:04,140
uses this story so profoundly.

1102
00:46:04,140 --> 00:46:04,980
Listen again.

1103
00:46:04,980 --> 00:46:07,980
This is Hebrews four, verses one and two.

1104
00:46:08,860 --> 00:46:11,260
It says this, therefore let us fear,

1105
00:46:11,260 --> 00:46:14,940
lest while a promise remains of entering his rest,

1106
00:46:14,940 --> 00:46:18,580
that any one of you should seem to have come short of it.

1107
00:46:18,580 --> 00:46:20,980
For indeed we have good news preached to us

1108
00:46:20,980 --> 00:46:23,380
just as they, the Israelites also,

1109
00:46:24,380 --> 00:46:27,380
but the word they heard did not profit them, the Israelites.

1110
00:46:27,380 --> 00:46:28,220
Why?

1111
00:46:28,220 --> 00:46:31,860
Because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

1112
00:46:31,860 --> 00:46:33,260
This is the lesson.

1113
00:46:33,260 --> 00:46:35,100
So catch what Hebrews is saying here.

1114
00:46:35,100 --> 00:46:38,300
The Israelites heard the news about God's salvation,

1115
00:46:38,300 --> 00:46:42,420
but they didn't unite that word with faith, right?

1116
00:46:42,420 --> 00:46:44,300
They didn't trust Yahweh in the wilderness.

1117
00:46:44,300 --> 00:46:45,940
And they fell.

1118
00:46:45,940 --> 00:46:48,580
They were unable to enter the rest in the promised land.

1119
00:46:48,580 --> 00:46:50,020
So you're like, okay, that's great.

1120
00:46:50,020 --> 00:46:52,020
What does that mean for New Testament believers?

1121
00:46:52,020 --> 00:46:54,100
Notice how Hebrews says that that promise

1122
00:46:54,100 --> 00:46:57,460
of entering God's rest still remains,

1123
00:46:58,300 --> 00:46:59,980
meaning it's future, right?

1124
00:46:59,980 --> 00:47:01,900
In the New Testament, it's future.

1125
00:47:01,900 --> 00:47:03,100
What does that mean?

1126
00:47:03,100 --> 00:47:06,260
It means we're no longer talking about coming into Canaan.

1127
00:47:06,260 --> 00:47:07,940
That's long since past.

1128
00:47:07,940 --> 00:47:09,500
The author of Hebrews is applying this

1129
00:47:09,500 --> 00:47:10,900
to a whole different thing.

1130
00:47:10,900 --> 00:47:13,100
It's not about coming into the promised land

1131
00:47:13,100 --> 00:47:14,740
from a New Testament perspective.

1132
00:47:14,740 --> 00:47:18,740
God's rest is now eternal salvation in Christ.

1133
00:47:19,980 --> 00:47:23,940
Don't come short of eternal salvation in Christ.

1134
00:47:23,940 --> 00:47:25,980
So you've heard the good news of the gospel, he says.

1135
00:47:25,980 --> 00:47:26,820
Great.

1136
00:47:26,820 --> 00:47:29,420
Now make sure you unite it with saving faith,

1137
00:47:29,420 --> 00:47:32,620
believe God's promises, trust in Christ alone,

1138
00:47:32,620 --> 00:47:37,220
and you will not fall short of God's rest.

1139
00:47:37,220 --> 00:47:39,700
That's what he's saying to the Christian church

1140
00:47:39,700 --> 00:47:40,900
in the first century.

1141
00:47:40,900 --> 00:47:42,300
Friends, let me say this again.

1142
00:47:42,300 --> 00:47:45,740
This story is told over and over in the Bible for a reason.

1143
00:47:45,740 --> 00:47:48,220
It is a true warning.

1144
00:47:48,220 --> 00:47:50,940
And I've seen this, man, you talk to Adam

1145
00:47:50,940 --> 00:47:52,820
or any of the other elders, we've seen this

1146
00:47:52,820 --> 00:47:55,420
too many times in the church.

1147
00:47:55,420 --> 00:47:57,820
This is the warning, friends, pay close attention.

1148
00:47:57,820 --> 00:48:00,700
It is possible for someone to be in proximity

1149
00:48:00,700 --> 00:48:03,420
to the people of God and associated

1150
00:48:03,420 --> 00:48:06,620
with a worshiping community and still harden

1151
00:48:06,620 --> 00:48:08,900
his heart against God when the trust

1152
00:48:08,900 --> 00:48:11,260
and his heart against God, when the trials

1153
00:48:11,260 --> 00:48:12,580
of life come against him.

1154
00:48:13,700 --> 00:48:17,460
And to fall away and to not enter God's rest.

1155
00:48:18,380 --> 00:48:20,500
That's the warning here.

1156
00:48:20,500 --> 00:48:22,820
And even though the Lord never leaves that man,

1157
00:48:22,820 --> 00:48:24,420
even though the Lord might be guiding him

1158
00:48:24,420 --> 00:48:27,140
and actively meeting his needs, still that man

1159
00:48:27,140 --> 00:48:29,940
makes accusations against God's chosen leaders,

1160
00:48:29,940 --> 00:48:31,660
and he grumbles against God and he says,

1161
00:48:31,660 --> 00:48:35,020
I don't deserve this hardship, so I'm going back to Egypt.

1162
00:48:35,020 --> 00:48:37,620
And he doesn't enter God's rest.

1163
00:48:38,980 --> 00:48:40,740
That man decides that Egypt looks better

1164
00:48:40,740 --> 00:48:43,260
than his current circumstances, so he turns his back

1165
00:48:43,260 --> 00:48:46,420
on the church and he goes back to the things of the world.

1166
00:48:47,260 --> 00:48:48,100
We've seen it.

1167
00:48:49,020 --> 00:48:51,180
People you thought were believers, people you thought

1168
00:48:51,180 --> 00:48:53,620
were part of this worshiping community say,

1169
00:48:53,620 --> 00:48:56,900
no, I won't accept God's ways.

1170
00:48:56,900 --> 00:48:58,300
I won't walk through this hardship

1171
00:48:58,300 --> 00:48:59,500
with my brothers and sisters.

1172
00:48:59,500 --> 00:49:01,420
I won't walk through it with God,

1173
00:49:01,420 --> 00:49:03,580
I'm going back to the world.

1174
00:49:03,580 --> 00:49:05,220
We've seen it.

1175
00:49:05,220 --> 00:49:07,700
That's how you end up coming short of God's rest,

1176
00:49:07,700 --> 00:49:09,860
because the truth about a faithless heart

1177
00:49:09,860 --> 00:49:13,900
gets revealed in time and especially through adversity.

1178
00:49:15,700 --> 00:49:18,420
Be warned, do not harden your heart, friends.

1179
00:49:18,420 --> 00:49:20,540
Listen to how fierce Spurgeon was about this.

1180
00:49:20,540 --> 00:49:21,900
You ready for this?

1181
00:49:21,900 --> 00:49:26,900
He said, is God to wait as a lackey upon you?

1182
00:49:27,180 --> 00:49:29,300
You deserve his wrath.

1183
00:49:29,300 --> 00:49:31,340
Will you slight his love?

1184
00:49:31,340 --> 00:49:33,660
He speaks in amazing tenderness.

1185
00:49:33,660 --> 00:49:36,540
Will you exhibit astounding hardness?

1186
00:49:38,620 --> 00:49:40,820
Don't harden your hearts today.

1187
00:49:40,820 --> 00:49:42,980
And that's the last thing I wanna talk about

1188
00:49:42,980 --> 00:49:44,100
and then we'll be done.

1189
00:49:44,100 --> 00:49:46,220
The emphasis in Hebrews three and four

1190
00:49:46,220 --> 00:49:48,300
is the use of that word today.

1191
00:49:49,260 --> 00:49:52,020
That word today is chock full of meaning.

1192
00:49:52,020 --> 00:49:54,580
Adam read a portion of this in our call to worship.

1193
00:49:55,260 --> 00:49:58,940
Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you

1194
00:49:58,940 --> 00:50:01,540
an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away

1195
00:50:01,540 --> 00:50:04,420
from the living God, but encourage one another.

1196
00:50:04,420 --> 00:50:05,540
We need each other, right?

1197
00:50:05,540 --> 00:50:07,940
Encourage one another day after day

1198
00:50:07,940 --> 00:50:10,220
as long as it is called today,

1199
00:50:10,220 --> 00:50:12,460
so that none of you will be hardened

1200
00:50:12,460 --> 00:50:14,180
by the deceitfulness of sin.

1201
00:50:15,500 --> 00:50:18,660
That use of the word today is so important.

1202
00:50:18,660 --> 00:50:20,540
It means our joyful and reverent worship

1203
00:50:20,540 --> 00:50:22,780
has to be steady and consistent

1204
00:50:22,780 --> 00:50:24,660
because every day is today.

1205
00:50:26,100 --> 00:50:27,340
Every day is today.

1206
00:50:27,340 --> 00:50:29,420
Every day we have to take care

1207
00:50:29,420 --> 00:50:31,340
to guard our hearts from unbelief.

1208
00:50:31,340 --> 00:50:33,860
Every day we have to persist in the things

1209
00:50:33,860 --> 00:50:36,340
that are fundamental to our walk with Christ.

1210
00:50:36,340 --> 00:50:39,580
Worshipping, trusting, obeying,

1211
00:50:39,580 --> 00:50:42,220
so that we're not hardened by adversity

1212
00:50:42,220 --> 00:50:44,140
and circumstances in life

1213
00:50:44,140 --> 00:50:47,140
and we're not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

1214
00:50:49,140 --> 00:50:50,660
The warning to the Hebrews was this,

1215
00:50:50,660 --> 00:50:54,940
you cannot rest on the past because every day is today.

1216
00:50:54,940 --> 00:50:56,300
So we wake up each and every day

1217
00:50:56,300 --> 00:51:00,500
and we say, I will persist in belief.

1218
00:51:00,500 --> 00:51:02,620
I will persist in worshiping.

1219
00:51:02,620 --> 00:51:05,500
I will persist in obedience.

1220
00:51:05,500 --> 00:51:06,580
Will we do it perfectly?

1221
00:51:06,580 --> 00:51:07,420
Absolutely not.

1222
00:51:07,420 --> 00:51:08,260
Is there grace?

1223
00:51:08,260 --> 00:51:09,100
Absolutely.

1224
00:51:10,460 --> 00:51:13,180
But we continue to walk with God each and every day

1225
00:51:13,180 --> 00:51:14,620
because every day is today.

1226
00:51:16,300 --> 00:51:17,900
Guard your hearts, friends.

1227
00:51:17,900 --> 00:51:20,780
Proper worship leads us to having a listening ear

1228
00:51:20,780 --> 00:51:24,340
and a soft, surrendered heart to the Lord.

1229
00:51:24,340 --> 00:51:26,420
Soft hearts are worshiping hearts.

1230
00:51:27,500 --> 00:51:28,340
Know that.

1231
00:51:28,340 --> 00:51:31,420
Soft hearts submit to God's ways.

1232
00:51:31,420 --> 00:51:34,700
Soft hearts submit to his rightful lordship

1233
00:51:34,700 --> 00:51:37,340
even when adversity comes our way.

1234
00:51:37,340 --> 00:51:38,180
Why?

1235
00:51:38,180 --> 00:51:39,940
Because the soft heart knows and trusts

1236
00:51:39,940 --> 00:51:42,100
that our God is our good shepherd

1237
00:51:42,100 --> 00:51:43,460
and that he cares for us.

1238
00:51:43,460 --> 00:51:53,460
Let's bow our heads.

1239
00:51:57,460 --> 00:51:59,100
Father, we thank you for this warning.

1240
00:51:59,100 --> 00:52:00,860
As hard as it may be to hear, Lord,

1241
00:52:00,860 --> 00:52:02,300
we thank you for this warning

1242
00:52:02,300 --> 00:52:06,300
because we all need to be shaken out of any lethargy

1243
00:52:06,300 --> 00:52:10,740
that we have, any sense of casualness in your presence.

1244
00:52:10,740 --> 00:52:13,580
Lord, any sense of unbelief, any sin

1245
00:52:13,580 --> 00:52:15,300
that we are now hardened in.

1246
00:52:15,300 --> 00:52:18,980
Lord, shake us from this so that nobody in this room today

1247
00:52:18,980 --> 00:52:20,780
come short of your rest.

1248
00:52:21,700 --> 00:52:24,020
And God, we thank you for your instructions about worship.

1249
00:52:24,020 --> 00:52:26,860
It's so good, Lord, that we don't have to figure this out

1250
00:52:26,860 --> 00:52:29,060
down here on our own, but you have told us

1251
00:52:29,060 --> 00:52:30,900
exactly what you want us to do.

1252
00:52:30,900 --> 00:52:34,140
Come, let us sing with joy.

1253
00:52:34,140 --> 00:52:36,940
Come, let us be humble and reverent before you.

1254
00:52:37,740 --> 00:52:39,340
Oh, Lord, so many times,

1255
00:52:39,340 --> 00:52:42,500
we've been told, oh, Lord, so many practical things

1256
00:52:42,500 --> 00:52:44,100
we can learn from this passage.

1257
00:52:44,100 --> 00:52:46,820
I pray now for myself, for my brothers and sisters,

1258
00:52:46,820 --> 00:52:49,580
that we just won't be hearers of this

1259
00:52:49,580 --> 00:52:51,580
because we all have a tendency to do that,

1260
00:52:51,580 --> 00:52:55,460
to hear a sermon and go home and see no change in our lives.

1261
00:52:55,460 --> 00:52:58,460
Today, right now, as we begin to sing,

1262
00:52:58,460 --> 00:53:00,660
may we be doers of your word.

1263
00:53:01,820 --> 00:53:04,180
Give us the strength to do that, Lord.

1264
00:53:04,180 --> 00:53:06,180
We know that we can do nothing apart from you,

1265
00:53:06,180 --> 00:53:11,180
Lord, cause us to be great worshipers with a passion for you.

1266
00:53:11,180 --> 00:53:36,380
For your glory, for our good, we pray, amen.