WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.480 Well it's such a joy uh to be here with you and to see my mom and dad on Sunday. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:07.040 So that's uh that's new for me as well. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:12.720 You know, I grew up actually, like you can almost throw a rock on the stone I grew up on just over here. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:20.800 And so it's such a privilege always to come back to the city I love and the town that I've prayed over so many times over so many years and be able to preach the word. 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:22.399 And so thank you for having me here. 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:28.320 Pray for your pastor as he takes a well-needed and deserved uh break with his family. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:32.079 And uh you know what, before we get into the word, we should pray. 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:35.039 So would you please bow your heads with me in prayer? 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:41.280 Heavenly Father, you are good. 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:45.920 Lord, you are over all things. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.399 Oh God, you are the God of gods, the Lord of Lords. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:53.280 Lord, we have nothing apart from you. 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:56.240 You have been so kind to your people, Lord. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:59.119 You have done so much, you've given us salvation, Lord. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:02.719 You are sanctifying us, you are bringing us through this world right now, Lord. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:05.599 And one day, oh God, we will see you face to face. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:07.680 And we long for that day. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:15.519 And Lord, here we are now, and what an opportunity we have to see from your word, the word that you have given to us, God. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:17.920 Lord, to see your glory. 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.200 Lord, show us more of who you are this morning. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:25.439 Lord, that all the praise and worship go to you. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:28.640 Lord, I'm praying for salvation this morning. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:33.760 Lord, that somebody here who has not believed in Jesus Christ would believe. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:42.799 And for the person who has for so long grieved the heart of God, who is one of your children, Lord, needs to come back and dedicate themselves to you. 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:46.480 Lord, I pray for your spirit to work powerfully this morning. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:48.159 Lord, because you are good. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:50.319 And so we dedicate all of this to you. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:52.239 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:53.200 Amen. 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:57.519 Well, again, thank you for having me here this morning. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.159 This morning we are going through Psalm 136. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:16.000 So if you have a Bible, uh turn there to Psalm 136, and we're going to go through this Psalm verse by verse by verse, and we're going to see what it meant to the people of Israel, and then also what it means for us today. 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:25.520 There's lots of amazing truth in this psalm, and mainly, if you've if you're familiar with the psalm, that the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.960 The steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:34.000 But I don't want to just focus, we're going to do a lot of verse by verse here, but I don't want to just focus on what it says. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:39.680 I also want to focus on what this psalm was used for in Israel. 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:48.879 You see, this psalm was read out loud and sung by the entire congregation of Israel at least two times that we know of. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:03:04.400 The first was in 2 Chronicles 7, after Solomon builds the temple, he has the entire congregation of Israel, led by the Levites and the priests, to sing this psalm to dedicate the temple. 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:12.479 If you know anything about Israel's history, after Solomon, there was some more kings, they did what was evil in sight of the Lord. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:22.400 Time went by, and more evil, more evil, God got fed up with their wickedness and sent the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar to sack Jerusalem. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:29.199 The city was sacked, and as captives, he took an exiled group of people back to Babylon. 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:33.680 He destroyed the wall, he destroyed the temple of God. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:58.639 Some years later, people like Nehemiah and Ezra were sent back with a group of Jews, and they came back to Jerusalem and they rebuilt the wall, they rebuilt the temple, and Ezra 3, Ezra stands up before the people and has them recite this psalm to rededicate the temple. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:09.439 In the Psalm, there's 26 verses, and each of them end with the same phrase: For the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:15.840 And when the Bible says something 26 times in 26 verses, we better pay close attention, right? 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:19.360 God's clearly trying to tell us something. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.279 I think I know what it is. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:25.519 The steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:33.680 This psalm is completely about dedicating the temple themselves to who God is. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:40.560 In this entire Psalm, there's not one verse that says, since God is good, and then it goes, Well, therefore, Israel do this. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:42.000 It's not in this psalm. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:44.560 There's no therefore, there's no now do this. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:52.720 It's all acclamation and praise to the character of God for who he is and what he has done. 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:54.000 That's it. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.920 So what is it for us to be a dedicated people? 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:02.240 What does that look like? 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.759 You know, we think of dedication in a few different ways. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:12.959 I think we think about it like this: we go, hey, I'm a really dedicated person, and maybe even write it on your resume when you're looking for a new job, right? 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:17.680 And your and your future, well, potential future employer would be like, Well, how are you so dedicated? 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:18.560 What do you mean by that? 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:19.439 Prove it to me. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:23.439 And then you show them your nicely framed employee of the month certificate. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:27.439 You know, I sold the most product last month, and so look how dedicated I am. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.480 And you say, I'm really dedicated to my family, and you're like, oh, prove it, prove it. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:31.920 What do you mean you're dedicated to your family? 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:39.279 And you would say, Well, look, they're all so put together, and we love each other, and I dedicate my time and my efforts and everything I am to my family. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.079 And that's good, and there's nothing evil about that. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:43.839 We should be dedicated in this way. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.839 It's just not the same kind of dedication that's going on here. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:50.959 There's a different kind of dedication. 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:59.759 It's the dedication of the hopeless romantic standing on a stage with a guitar and singing a love song to his sweetheart and dedicating it to her. 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:20.959 It's the kind of dedication where a novelist writes a book and at the front of the book he dedicates it to someone who meant a lot to him or her, saying, This isn't about my accomplishments, this isn't about my work, this isn't about my abilities, it's all about how lovely you are and how good you are, and all of this is for you. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:28.720 This is the kind of dedication that the Israelites were doing when reading this psalm. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:41.519 They weren't looking at their own accomplishments, they weren't looking at their own good deeds, they weren't looking at their own work, they were looking at who God is and saying, God, you alone are worthy, and this is dedicated to you. 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:49.279 We need to be dedicating ourselves to God as well. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:07:02.319 Not in the sense that I'll work harder, not in the sense that I will do more, but in the sense that everything I am, O God, my very being is for you, for you are good. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:17.759 Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 19, when talking about why we should keep ourselves from sexual immorality, he writes this: He says, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you? 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.160 Who you have from God. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:27.199 You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:43.600 You see, the Israelites had the physical temple where the manifest presence of God dwelt, but now, believer in Jesus Christ, if you've believed in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, and now you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:48.399 And so we must be dedicated to God. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:56.800 We need to take our eyes off of self, our own work, our own accomplishments, eyes off of self, and set our gaze upon God. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.480 And that's our goal here this morning. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:05.519 So, what does my song of dedication look like in my life? 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:07.519 And here's our first point. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:16.000 My song of dedication must give thanks to God for who he is, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:18.879 I've divided the text up into four different sections. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:27.040 The first one here is verses one through nine, and we're gonna look at how we must give thanks to God for who he is. 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:29.040 Look at verse one. 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:30.000 Look at verse one. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:41.279 It says this give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:43.679 The Lord is good. 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:47.200 Some of us here this morning maybe just need to hear that. 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:56.000 That the Lord is good, that through everything he is good, through trial and through joy, the Lord is good. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:02.799 He uses everything, he works all things together for the good of those who are called according to his purposes. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:03.519 He is good. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.960 He deserves all of our thanks and all of our worship. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.000 I love how Charles Spurgeon put it when referring to this verse. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:15.759 He said this, he said, speaking of God, he is good beyond all others. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.000 Indeed, he alone is good in the highest sense. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:29.279 He is the source of good, the good of all good, the sustainer of good, the perfecter of good, and the rewarder of good. 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:34.240 Everything that is good derives its goodness from the good one. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.120 He is good, and he is good alone. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:47.759 Only he is good, and we depend on our the goodness of the Lord every single day, and his steadfast love endures forever. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:50.240 Look at verse 2. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:53.440 It says, Give thanks to the God of gods. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:54.159 Do you know this? 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:56.639 That there is no one above our God? 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:00.080 That he is the God of gods? 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:06.240 There is no one like him, no God can compare with who our God is. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:22.960 Any demon pretending to be a God, or any God that mankind has fathomed up and imagined and worshipped doesn't even come close to comparing with the beauty and the majesty of who our God is. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:24.399 He is good. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:31.919 He is the God of gods, he is the true holy one who is above all things. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:34.399 Do you understand who you worship? 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:39.200 His love endures forever. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:44.879 Verse 3 says, Give thanks to the Lord of lords. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:55.360 You know that there are many lords in the world, many lords of the manor, many people who own large pieces of land and call themselves lords. 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.960 But did you know that there's only one Lord of lords? 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.559 That He actually owns all things? 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:14.639 That everything is under His dominion and sovereignty, that nothing happens on this earth that is not directly under His sovereignty. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.000 It's amazing who our God is. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:24.639 In this ultimate authority, He is loving and perfect in His Lordship. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:30.720 He's not a harsh ruler or a mean ruler or a bad landlord, if you will. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.759 He is perfect in his lordship. 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:40.399 Spurgeon went on in this verse, he said this, he protects the helpless, provides for the needy, and pardons the guilty. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.960 You see, his lordship is perfect. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:49.679 He is the Lord of lords, and his steadfast love endures forever. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:52.960 In verses four and six, I've kind of put them together. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:56.720 I'm going to read the first part of each of these three verses together. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.799 Talks about how he is the creator. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:11:59.600 This is who he is. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:09.279 It says to him alone who does great wonders, to him who by understanding made the heavens, to him who spread out the earth above the waters. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.559 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:13.279 Do you know this? 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:14.399 He created all things. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:20.000 That right now we have the opportunity to worship the creator of all things. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.840 He does the most wonderful, wondrous things. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:26.960 And only He can do them. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:28.720 Only He can do them. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.120 This is who our God is. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:34.480 He created, it says He created the heavens in understanding. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:36.000 He created our atmosphere. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:46.320 He created this planet earth, and He gave us atmosphere so that we can breathe, so that we can live, so that we can exhale and give glory and praise back to our God. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:49.519 He did this in understanding, it says. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:13:01.519 In verses 7 to 9, it says, To him who made the great lights, the sun to rule over the day, the moon and stars to rule over the night. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:04.960 You know that God considered every single hour of our day? 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:13.919 He considered every single hour of our day that we might have light, the sun to rule over the day, of course, the moon and the stars over the night. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:21.600 Not one moment goes by in our existence that we are not living under the rule of the light that God has put in place. 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:27.440 Without the sun, there would be no seasons, of course. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:30.320 There would be no life on Earth. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.039 We know that the moon is like a natural calendar to us. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:37.200 It also controls the tides. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:39.600 God created all of this. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:50.399 And we can't even begin to imagine, we can't even begin to understand the significance of every single star in our galaxy, let alone the universe. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:14:00.799 And how God has so intrinsically put them together and the gravitational pulls and the movements of all things so that we would be sustained here today. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:06.559 And what seems so impossible to us to even understand is easy for him to create. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:10.559 This is who our God is. 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:16.240 A few weeks ago, I was I had the privilege of going up to our family cottage up north. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.480 And um and uh I just I love it up there. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:22.080 And it was a really great night. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:27.039 It was very clear, there was no clouds out, and uh, you know, after about 11 o'clock, the bugs kind of go away. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:28.320 Maybe they go to bed too. 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:30.720 And so it's kind of nice just to get out. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:34.559 And um, I said to my wife Mandy, hey, come out, come out with me, lie on the dock. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:35.519 Let's like look at the stars. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:41.519 And she's like, Oh no, I'm tired, and she's about seven months pregnant, so doing any extra activ uh extra activity is kind of off the books. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:54.879 But I finally dragged her outside, and uh we got out and had her, you know, after I convinced her that no spiders would get in her hair from lying on the dock, we were able to lie out on the dock for a minute, and we just gazed up at the stars, and it was beautiful. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:57.679 The moon was even low, so there was no light pollution. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:02.159 You know, here there's so many lights, and so we can't even see the stars. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:08.960 But from horizon to horizon, horizon to horizon, the the sky was just painted with God's glory. 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:13.679 Stars filling every single square inch of the sky. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:17.279 You know, here we see the Big Dipper, we're like, oh, okay, there's a couple stars, a Big Dipper. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:18.960 Up there, you're like, where's the Big Dipper? 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:22.080 There's so many stars I can't even see it. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.679 Amazing, amazing. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.879 And then all of a sudden in our in our view, we see this star and it's just kind of moving. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:32.720 We're like, oh, that's moving pretty fast. 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:38.559 You know, that's that's actually moving across across the sky pretty quick, and we realize that's not a star at all, it's a satellite, right? 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:45.440 And then you're like, okay, that's a satellite, and then it hit me later on, realizing and thinking about this. 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:50.720 You know, a satellite is about 400 kilometers away from us. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:59.519 Okay, the nearest star, other than our sun, to Earth is 36 quadrillion kilometers away from us. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:04.720 That's a 36 with 12 zeros behind it. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:13.679 And for what God has made and what for man has made to look the same size, one has to be basically right next to my eye. 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:17.360 This is who our God is. 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:22.639 Wondrous, incredible. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:25.279 And did you know this? 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:29.840 That Jesus is the light, that he is the light of the world. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:37.200 Truly, that the sun and the stars and the moon, they all are pointing to, even in creation, pointing to the one true light. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:42.080 And when we get to heaven, one day there will be no sun or moon because God will be the light. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:45.519 We learn that in Revelation 21, 23. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:52.240 You see, we need to dedicate ourselves to God because of who he is. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:56.159 Are you in awe of who God is? 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:01.919 Dedicate yourself to the one who is over all things. 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:06.160 So we see that we need to dedicate ourselves. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:17.119 We we have the song of dedication because of who he is, but also now for what he's done, for what he's done, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:19.440 Verses 10 to 15. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:24.799 In verse 10, it says this to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.880 You know the story of Israel, right? 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:31.680 They were enslaved in Egypt for about 400 years. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.000 Uh, they had no leader, they had no hope, they had no future. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:40.880 And Pharaoh had his thumb down on the Israelites like no other. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:42.960 Hard labor work. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:51.119 In fact, he killed the firstborn of all the Israelites in one generation, and we see there was a little bit of vengeance in the next from God. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:57.119 But Pharaoh's thumb is heavy on the people of Israel in Egypt. 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:03.279 And in verse 10, it says this to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:10.799 To give salvation to the Israelites, God sent some plagues. 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:12.720 You remember the story of Moses, right? 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:17.039 He called Moses out, and Moses, who was a murderer and couldn't really even speak that well. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:24.240 He used him to lead his people out of Egypt and praise the Lord that he's able to use fallen and broken men to lead. 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:37.039 And so Moses goes to Pharaoh and God gives him uh through Aaron and the words to say, and he kind of lays down these plagues, these terrible plagues over Egypt, but Pharaoh just won't let the people go, won't let them go, won't let them go. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:41.279 And then God finally comes to Moses and said, Listen, Moses, this one's gonna be a doozy, okay? 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:43.759 This one is gonna be the plague of all plagues. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:55.200 What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna send my angel, and I'm gonna go all throughout Egypt, and every house I come to, I'm gonna kill the eldest son. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:11.279 Except for those who take a perfect lamb, sacrifice that lamb, take the blood of the lamb and put it on the doorpost of their houses. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:15.920 On those houses, my my angel will pass over those houses. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:22.640 And it says to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:31.920 You see, God came and struck down the firstborn of all the Egyptians so that the Israelites could go free. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:37.200 And for us, God strikes down his own son so that we can go free. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:43.359 We can see that it's God's sacrifice for us is his own blood. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:57.920 We can see clearly the enduring love he has for us as we look at the cross and see the sacrifice that was made, the perfect Lamb of God, the perfect Passover Lamb that covers us so that we may be saved. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:07.119 In verses 11 and 12, he goes on and says, And brought Israel out from among them with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:22.400 You see, after this miracle happened, Pharaoh finally said, Get out of here, get out of here, leave Moses, you and your people can go, and with a with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, God saves his people from slavery. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:32.640 And just as God brought the Egyptians out of slavery, sorry, brought the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, he saves us from slavery to sin. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:36.400 This is the work our God does for us. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:39.920 Ephesians 2, 1 to 5 sums this up so well. 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:46.400 It says, and you were once dead in your trespasses and sins in what's what in what in which you once walked. 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:50.079 We were all slaves to sins. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.839 We all had no hope, we all had no future. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.920 It goes on, it says, by nature we were children of wrath like the rest of mankind. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:59.279 We had nothing. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:02.960 Our parents were doomed, we're doomed, our children are doomed. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:08.720 There's no hope, no leader, no future, enslaved to sin, unable to be released. 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:25.599 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:29.599 God saves us from our slavery. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:38.880 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, have you been saved by the strong hand and outstretched arm of our God? 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:41.920 Have you believed in what he has done? 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:46.880 Have you believed in his steadfast love that endures forever? 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:53.599 In verse 13, we see that it says to him who divided the Red Sea into. 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:55.519 You remember the story, right? 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:59.839 You remember the story of the Israelites, they finally leave and they're kind of like, Hey, we got freedom now, let's go. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.640 Oh, let's go. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:08.240 And the whole uh gathering of Israel follows Moses out, and they they head out of Egypt and they they end up near the Red Sea. 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:09.680 And they're like, okay, where do we go? 00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:10.240 Do we go south? 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:10.880 Do we go north? 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.519 Do we go east? 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:12.160 Do we go west? 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:12.880 You know, we can't. 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:15.119 This Red Sea's in the way, we can't really go over it. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:17.599 Like, we don't have enough boats, like, there's nothing we can do there. 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:19.279 It's gonna be really difficult to get across. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:23.279 And just as they're trying to make up their minds here, Pharaoh changes his mind. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:25.839 And he goes, wait, wait, wait, I made a mistake. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:27.359 We need slaves. 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:28.319 We need slaves. 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:31.440 Our economy's gonna go down to nothing here. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:33.359 We need these Israelites. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.920 And so he takes his army and in anger, he charges after God's people. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:50.559 And Israel on one side has the Red Sea, and on the other side has Pharaoh and his army, and quite literally they're between a rock and a hard place. 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:55.359 But it says to him who divided the Red Sea in two. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:57.759 God splits the waters. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:01.200 God creates a path that was impossible. 00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:02.720 It wasn't there. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:04.640 There was no hope. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:09.680 God creates a path in the Red Sea and splits the waters. 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:11.680 Do you remember the story in Matthew 8? 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:21.200 Jesus and his disciples, they're like, oh, let's take a leisurely uh cruise on a boat in the sea here and uh just enjoy the sunshine. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:25.440 And Jesus takes a nap, falls asleep in the boat. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:28.720 Which, amen, naps are good, right? 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:32.000 All the parents with young children, right? 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:32.640 Amen. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:33.279 I'm with you. 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:34.640 Naps are good. 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:37.119 Jesus did it, and so can we. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:44.160 But he's napping, and as he's taking a little uh sleep, uh, this great storm arises. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:51.920 And the waves are banging against the boat, and it's raining, and they it's so bad that the disciples think they're going to die. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:54.079 They come to Jesus. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.440 Jesus, wake up! We're going to die! What are you doing sleeping? 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:58.880 How can you sleep through this? 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.799 Did you take NyQuil? 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:07.119 And Jesus gets up and with just a few words rebukes the weather. 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:20.720 In Matthew 28, 27, or sorry, Matthew 8, 27, it says that the disciples marveled and said, What man is this that the winds and the sea obey him? 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:23.039 I'll tell you what man this is. 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:27.200 He's the God man who came to this earth. 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:33.839 He's the same God who created all things, he's the same God who split the Red Sea. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:40.400 See, Jesus is over all, and creation obeys him. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:50.480 Just as the sea was divided for safe passage of God's people, Jesus' body is broken for ours. 00:24:51.680 --> 00:25:01.359 And Jesus was sent to the cross and nails broke his skin, and he was nailed to that cross for our safe passage to salvation. 00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:09.119 First Corinthians 11 24, it says, During the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread and said, This is my body, which is for you. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:11.279 Is Jesus' body for you? 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:12.799 Do you believe? 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:22.319 Do you believe that the God of heaven who created all things, who is over all things, who has the power to divide the sea and conquer the storm, do you believe in him? 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:24.400 Do you believe? 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:28.079 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:33.680 In verse 14, it says, And made Israel pass through the midst. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:37.200 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:43.920 Israel, because of the work of God, were able to safely walk through the sea. 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:52.480 And in Christ, we are able to walk in this world with level footing. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:26:02.480 Jesus tells us in Matthew 11, 28, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, for I will give you rest. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:05.519 Are you trying to swim? 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:23.680 Ask yourself this, are you are you trying to swim through the raging sea and trying to work so hard and trying to beat your own sin and trying to work through your own temptation on your own when God has made a clear path for you to walk down? 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:30.240 Do you have this dedication thing in your salvation mixed up? 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:42.559 Do you think if I just try harder, if I just work a little bit more, if if if if I just hide this thing, I can deal with it myself, I can be dedicated to overcoming this. 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:44.559 I can be dedicated to get myself through. 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:48.480 And if I work so hard, God will finally be pleased with me. 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:53.680 That is not what our salvation is. 00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:00.400 It's God did the work that we are completely and utterly unable to do. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:06.400 He splits the sea so that where there was no way, there is now a way. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:10.400 We cannot win these battles on our own. 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:20.319 We must believe in the sacrificial Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb, be washed in his blood and walk through. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:22.319 You see, you have this option today. 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:24.240 We all have this option today. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:30.480 Do you believe and walk, or do you disbelieve and drown? 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:41.759 Verse 15 says, But overthrew Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:44.240 You see, Israel passed through. 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:54.079 They walked through the miracle of God to salvation on the other side. 00:27:55.680 --> 00:27:59.519 And as Pharaoh saw them go through, he said, Follow them. 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:12.160 And he and his army followed through, and the walls of water came crashing down, and over it says they overthrew Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:18.400 You see, the same grace that saved the Israelites destroyed the Egyptians. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:22.960 Is the gospel of Jesus Christ to you a light? 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:25.200 Or is it death? 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:27.920 I pray it would be light. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:29.920 I pray it would be light. 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:33.759 First Peter 2, 6 to 10 sums this up really well. 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:46.400 It says this, speaking of Christ, for it stands in Scripture, behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:48.559 So the honor is for you who believe. 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:49.599 Do you believe? 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:58.400 But for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense. 00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:16.880 They stumble because they disobeyed the word, as they were destined to do, but you, but you, oh, but you, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:20.720 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. 00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:26.079 Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:29.839 Church, have you believed in the Passover Lamb? 00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:34.720 Because if you believe in Jesus Christ, you will be saved. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:39.759 You see, the Egyptians, they did not have the Passover Lamb. 00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:46.799 And so the miracle of grace that was offered to the Israelites was not for the Egyptians. 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:56.000 You must believe in Jesus, the perfect sacrificial Lamb from God who takes away the sins of the world. 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:59.119 And you can believe in him right now. 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:01.039 Here's your opportunity. 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:02.480 Believe in Jesus. 00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:03.599 Trust in him. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:08.799 Dedicate yourself to Jesus because he has saved you. 00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:11.759 So we sing this song of dedication. 00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:17.599 We give thanks to God for who he is, for what he has done, and also for what he is doing. 00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:20.640 For his steadfast love endures forever. 00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:23.359 And here's our third point, 16 to 20. 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:29.440 In verse 16, it says this to him who led his people through the wilderness. 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:31.759 Of course, you you've heard the story before, right? 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:33.519 Israel gets to the other side. 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:40.240 They've defeated uh the the the God has defeated Pharaoh and and his army, and now they're on the other side, and they're like, Well, what do we do? 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.039 What do we do? 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:42.799 Okay, let's wander a little bit. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:50.079 And so they end up in this wilderness, and God leads them around the wilderness for 40 years. 00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:52.640 40 years. 00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:59.599 In a desert land that really shouldn't sustain one person, God provides for a nation. 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:05.359 In Deuteronomy, this is amazing. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:08.720 In Deuteronomy, this is my favorite my new favorite verse in the last two weeks, okay? 00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:10.559 Deuteronomy 29, 5. 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:21.119 It says this that in the 40 years that they wandered through the wilderness, their clothes did not wear out, and their sandals did not wear off their feet. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:27.039 If my kids could have shoes that last longer than two weeks, right? 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:32.240 See, God knew exactly what they would need. 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:37.759 Some of you don't like that miracle because you'd like to change your wardrobe more than once every 40 years. 00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:42.559 But God knew exactly what they needed. 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:45.599 He sent manna from heaven for food. 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:47.279 I was reading this week again. 00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:51.359 He he brought water out of a rock when they were thirsty. 00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:55.200 He he made sure that their sandals didn't wear out. 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:59.839 He made sure that their clothes didn't wear out. 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:00.799 Why? 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:06.559 Because our God is the God who provides even in the most impossible situations. 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:12.319 Do you trust that God will provide? 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:16.720 Do you know who you serve? 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:24.319 Do you know that you worship a God who created all things and is sovereign over all things? 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:27.759 Who owns everything? 00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:39.599 See, my my struggle is I wonder if there's lots of people in the church today and in my church and maybe even here that honor the Lord with their lips. 00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:48.240 They say the things like, Jehovah Jireh, you're my provider, I believe, I believe, but then with the hands and the heart, they fail to believe. 00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:53.279 I have a confession to make again. 00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:56.960 Two weeks ago, this was two weeks ago, I had such an evil thought enter my mind. 00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:58.240 It was just so evil. 00:32:58.319 --> 00:32:59.759 I had to rebuke it instantly. 00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:01.200 It was so bad. 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:06.720 I I this unexpected expense came up. 00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:08.960 Decent size expense. 00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:14.079 And I was, I just left church too, which makes it even that much more worse. 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:18.559 And and I was sitting in my car and then and I had this phone call. 00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:20.160 I was like, oh yeah, this expense. 00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:26.400 And this evil thought, this worldly thought came into my mind that said, I guess I can't tithe this month. 00:33:28.720 --> 00:33:29.839 Wickedness. 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:32.640 Wickedness. 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:41.759 I was writing the sermon and it brought tears to my eyes to think for a moment, God, that I would think that you wouldn't provide. 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:48.319 That I think that I would have to put my own faithfulness on the altar of success. 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:57.839 God forgive me that I would think that I can take things into my own hand, that I don't believe that you rule over all and that you own everything and that you will provide. 00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:06.880 In my mind, I failed to believe in who God was. 00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:10.960 I was thinking worldly thoughts. 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:18.320 Not the thoughts of someone who has been rescued from slavery and sustained by the mighty hand of God. 00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:23.760 The truth is, I would have nothing without Him. 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:24.880 Nothing. 00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:26.960 Everything I have is the Lord's. 00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:28.800 Any gift I have is of the Lord. 00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:29.840 It's from the Lord. 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:30.800 I have nothing. 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:38.159