1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,400 Let's read together from the scriptures. 2 00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:07,300 I want to read tonight from the book of Ezra, Ezra chapter 10, 3 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:17,400 if you go to first and second, Samuel, first and second, Kings 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,600 versus second chronicles, you will come to the book of Ezra 5 00:00:26,100 --> 00:00:28,400 We're going to read from first one. 6 00:00:29,100 --> 00:00:32,100 I'm going to read, write down to verse 48. 7 00:00:34,100 --> 00:00:37,800 Azra, chapter town or read from verse 1. 8 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:49,200 Let's hear the word of God. Reading from the authorized 9 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:56,400 version. Azra 10:1 I when Ezra had prayed 10 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,200 and when he had confessed weeping and casting himself 11 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,400 dying before the house of gone, they're assembled onto him out 12 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,100 of israeel, a very great Congregation of, man, and women 13 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,900 and children for the people wept, very sore. 14 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,200 And second Ayah, the son of jehiel. 15 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,900 One of the sons of elom answered and said unto Ezra, we have 16 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:27,400 trespassed against our God and of Taken strange, waves of the 17 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,000 people of the land yet. Now there's hope in Israel 18 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,600 concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a 19 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,400 covenant with our God to put away all the waves and such as 20 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,500 are born of them according to the country. 21 00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:47,600 Love By Lord and of those that tremble at the Commandment of 22 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,900 our God, and let it be done. According to the law arise for 23 00:01:52,900 --> 00:01:55,400 this matter, below most unto thee. 24 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,300 We also will be with thee be of good courage. 25 00:01:59,300 --> 00:02:04,200 And dude, then arose, Astra, and they had the chief priests, the 26 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,900 Levites and all Israel to swear that they should do your cording 27 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:15,000 to this word. And they swore. then Ezra rose 28 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,900 up from before the house of God and went into the Chamber of 29 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:26,200 Jehan and the son of Elijah babe and when he came Heather he did 30 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,300 eat no bread or drink water for he mourn because of the 31 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:33,300 transgression of them that have been carried away and they made 32 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:36,800 Proclamation throughout Judea and Jerusalem on to all the 33 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,100 children of the Captivity that they should gather themselves 34 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:44,500 together unto Jerusalem. And the whosoever would not come 35 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:47,500 within three days according to the counsel of the princes and 36 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:51,600 the elders, all his substance should be Or fitted and himself 37 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,700 separated, from the congregation of those that have been carried 38 00:02:54,700 --> 00:02:57,400 away. Then all the men of Judah and 39 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,500 Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem, within 40 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:04,500 three days. It was the ninth month on the 41 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:08,700 20th day of the month, and all the people shout and the street 42 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:12,900 of the house of God, trembling because of this matter. 43 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:18,000 And for the great wreath, And as for the priest stood up and said 44 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,800 unto them ye have transcript transgressed and have taken 45 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,900 strange waves to increase the trespass of us real there, 46 00:03:25,900 --> 00:03:29,100 therefore, make confession unto the Lord, God of your father's 47 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,200 and do his pleasure and separate your sales from the people of 48 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,400 the land. And from the strange waves, then 49 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,900 all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice as 50 00:03:39,900 --> 00:03:45,300 though, her said, so must we do. But the people are many, it is a 51 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:49,700 Time Of much rien and we're not able to stand without. 52 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,200 Neither is this a work of one day or two for? 53 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,500 We are many that have transgressed in this thing. 54 00:03:57,900 --> 00:04:03,500 Let know they are rulers of all the congregation stand that all 55 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,000 them which have taken strange waves, and our cities come at 56 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,500 appointed times. And with them, the Elders of 57 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:13,600 every city and the judges their oath. 58 00:04:13,900 --> 00:04:18,000 I'll tell the fierce Wrath of our gold for this Mater returned 59 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,300 from us, a measurement of the Lord of stamp of the soon 60 00:04:21,300 --> 00:04:24,100 approval and blessing, this reading of his own precious 61 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:30,500 found infallible word, no, my text tonight and this, the first 62 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:37,400 Lord's Day evening of 2023 is find and are Surah chapter 10 63 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:41,700 and verse 2. And It's the latter part of the 64 00:04:41,700 --> 00:04:44,700 text that I want the focus on yet. 65 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:50,500 Now there's hope in Israel concerning this thing and I've 66 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:56,600 just taken that theme yet know there's whooping Israel 67 00:04:56,900 --> 00:05:00,300 concerning this thing. Now I want you to understand the 68 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:05,700 context I want you to grasp the setting of the scene behind the 69 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:11,500 utterance of these words. The people of the Northern 70 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:16,700 Kingdom of Israel, had failed to the army of Assyria in 722 BC. 71 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,000 Apparently, in that occasion, 27,000 have been carried captive 72 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,900 and they end, the southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin 73 00:05:25,900 --> 00:05:30,900 was invaded by Nebuchadnezzar and 606 BC not occasion. 74 00:05:30,900 --> 00:05:35,700 The royal family Royal children were taken captive, then 75 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:41,100 Nebuchadnezzar invaded again in five. 97 BC and took the chief 76 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:43,800 of the man, the rulers and the princes. 77 00:05:44,100 --> 00:05:48,000 He invaded a third time and 586 BC and sacked. 78 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,900 Jerusalem to the temple. Burnt baguettes there off 79 00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:54,400 knocked down his walls. Now, I want you to think of a 80 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,800 multitude of people in Exile in the land of Babylon belonging to 81 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,300 Judah and Benjamin and they've been there for 70 years. 82 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:09,100 Think of Daniel think of Ezekiel exile for 70 years, according to 83 00:06:09,100 --> 00:06:11,700 the word of Jeremiah, the prophet. 84 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,000 Jeremiah 25:11, Jeremiah 29 and 10. 85 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:22,900 Now when Babylon fell to King Cyrus of Persia and 537 BC, 86 00:06:23,300 --> 00:06:28,000 Cyrus issued his decree for the Jews to return to their Homeland 87 00:06:28,700 --> 00:06:32,300 if they wanted to. And the first, we have exhales 88 00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:40,400 returned under zerubbabel in the year 536 BC, 70 years after the 89 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,900 destruction of the temple, these exhale set about the rebuilding 90 00:06:44,900 --> 00:06:48,600 of the temple, they laid the foundations and the young they 91 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,800 stopped working. Then a second batch of exhales 92 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,500 came to carry on the work. Some years later under Ezra the 93 00:06:56,500 --> 00:07:01,600 Scribe and he helped us set up the worship of God, again, in 94 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,800 Jerusalem, in the rebuilt Temple. 95 00:07:04,900 --> 00:07:10,100 And then a third group arrived under the governorship of 96 00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:15,600 Nehemiah who came to rebuild the walls of the city and set up the 97 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:16,900 gates. They're off. 98 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:22,100 So I want you to think of this Exile community that is returned 99 00:07:22,100 --> 00:07:26,400 to the land of Israel. However upon their return to the 100 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:31,200 land of Israel. These exhales over many years 101 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,700 have taken to themselves, strange waves. 102 00:07:35,100 --> 00:07:37,800 And this was in Disobedience to the law of God. 103 00:07:38,500 --> 00:07:41,800 That's what we've read. In the opening chapter of Ezra 104 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:46,900 tan, verses 12 to, you can link it up with Deuteronomy chapter 105 00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:52,100 7, verses 1 to 4. You could think of as ra chapter 106 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:54,800 10 and verse 11. Lavender there, for me, 107 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,500 confession, unto the Lord God of your father's until his pleasure 108 00:07:58,500 --> 00:08:02,500 and separate your sales from the people of the land from the 109 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:09,100 strange ways. Here's a summary. 110 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,800 Of what they must do to correct this situation. 111 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:18,300 They're to make an honest confession of sin to the Lord 112 00:08:18,300 --> 00:08:20,400 God of their fathers and do as well. 113 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:25,700 On this confession of genuine would reflect their heartfelt 114 00:08:25,700 --> 00:08:29,100 sorrow for their sinful Behavior, and the sorrow would 115 00:08:29,100 --> 00:08:34,100 not only must manifest itself in words, but also manifested 116 00:08:34,100 --> 00:08:37,700 itself in Acts of the will. So what do you think of, Ezra 117 00:08:37,700 --> 00:08:41,700 the Scribe? And he's deep in mourning over 118 00:08:41,700 --> 00:08:47,100 the sins of the x-axis. He has led others to gather 119 00:08:47,100 --> 00:08:51,600 around him. So that they could see and sense 120 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:56,100 their sin so that they could weep bitterly over them. 121 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:03,700 Personal sins National sense. A man by the name of Jack. 122 00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:08,700 An Ayah, he became a spokesman for the people and he urged the 123 00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:12,700 people to confess their sin. He proposed to Ezra to make a 124 00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:17,700 covenant with the Lord and regarding this sin and put away 125 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:21,800 their strange waves. Now, second Ayah was not one of 126 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:26,900 the offenders but six members of the Elam clown to which he 127 00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:31,400 belonged, they had married foreign and strange. 128 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:38,200 Ways, Ezra acted on senaka, ribs proposal, he gathered the 129 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,100 exhales to gather in the month of December. 130 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:44,800 They agreed that they had sinned, they agreed to put away 131 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,800 their strange wait all but four protested a commission was 132 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:52,400 appointed to examine each keas and if the foreign waves and put 133 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,000 away their idols and denounced a Dollar Tree and trust it and 134 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,300 swore allegiance to the Lord God of Israel. 135 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,300 No further action was required. However, if the foreign Refuse 136 00:10:02,300 --> 00:10:06,000 to give up their Idols. The marriage was then dissolved 137 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,600 by divorce. In the eyes of the law. 138 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,100 A suitable Arrangements were made for compensation to take 139 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:15,400 care of these women and Ellie dependent children. 140 00:10:15,500 --> 00:10:20,800 And it was a not context and it was against that serving that 141 00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:27,700 this man called Shaq Anaya stood up and said, yet Know There's 142 00:10:27,700 --> 00:10:31,400 Hope in Israel concerning this thing. 143 00:10:31,500 --> 00:10:36,400 You see, these words were spoken against the sense of utter 144 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:41,400 hopelessness and despair among these weeping people who had 145 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:45,100 realized that they had sinned against God, can you sense 146 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:47,700 there? We panis and the Brokenness. 147 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:51,000 Why are they weeping? Why are they broken? 148 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,500 Here's the answer because they have sinned against the Lord, 149 00:10:54,900 --> 00:11:00,200 their sin, and the land, they the church and the country has 150 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:07,200 been affected. Genuine repentance is being 151 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,500 called for something real and true and genuine not something. 152 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:16,800 Glad true Brokenness would lead to true blessedness and it was 153 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,100 against that backlog, that one, lesser new one man. 154 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:25,700 Stood up at that time before. Ezra The Scribe and said yet not 155 00:11:25,700 --> 00:11:30,700 I there is hope in Israel concerning this thing, despite 156 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:33,300 the sin. In the land, the church one 157 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:40,100 Mound saw hope, He was the chief sinner the nation and octane in 158 00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:44,200 term, Aryan. Of strange ways. 159 00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:51,700 It was not concealed, it was brought out into the open. 160 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,400 It was not been brushed under the carpet, the smile I believe 161 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,900 had found a grown, for Hope Not Mere presumption. 162 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:07,700 But I real true ground of Hope. I want you to think of our 163 00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:10,200 country tonight. I want you to think of the 164 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,000 church and our day. I want you to think of this sins 165 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,100 and our nation and are they not black? 166 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:25,200 Are they not deplorable and degree adding And yet we can 167 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:29,100 say, from the scripture yet, now there's whooping, Israel 168 00:12:29,100 --> 00:12:32,800 concerning this thing and that's what we want to think about the 169 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,800 safe nning. I want you to think of three 170 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,100 things, three things that come to me. 171 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,500 Hope has recognized and God's call for repentance. 172 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:47,100 You see when he said yet. Now there's hope in Israel 173 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:50,300 concerning this thing. He was thinking against the back 174 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:54,300 cloth of the Weeping of the people, the sense of Brokenness 175 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:58,200 that they felt and the confession of their sin. 176 00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:02,900 And he realized will God has a message for the people. 177 00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:08,100 And that message is genuine repentance. 178 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,000 And that call to repent involves a heartfelt sorrow for their 179 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,800 sins before. God is the living in the true 180 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,300 God. And here's an Evidence of God's 181 00:13:18,300 --> 00:13:25,100 grace, and mercy to this sin of that day, and also evidence of 182 00:13:25,100 --> 00:13:30,100 God's grace, and mercy to the sinful Church in our day and a 183 00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:34,800 sinful country. I want you to think of the 184 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:39,000 picture. All of our country. 185 00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:43,700 Somebody sent me this interesting thing. 186 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:48,400 Let me read it out to you. Britain has a lunatic asylum. 187 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,900 A famous and grieving, by the satirical artist William, 188 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:57,700 Hogarth shows to fashionable ladies, visiting the London 189 00:13:57,700 --> 00:14:02,100 Lunatic Asylum. New Orleans Bedlam in 1735. 190 00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:05,500 It's an open day at the Asylum and visitors can pay to see the 191 00:14:05,500 --> 00:14:07,800 in means. Some of them are confined to 192 00:14:07,808 --> 00:14:10,300 their sales including a naked mole. 193 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,900 Sound of the crown of his head. Who thinks he is a king and a 194 00:14:13,908 --> 00:14:16,900 religious fanatic worshipping the cross. 195 00:14:17,300 --> 00:14:19,600 Other inmates are allowed into the gallery. 196 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:25,600 He refined to derain scientists one studying the Stars through 197 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,600 useless, chip of paper. The other calculating, the long 198 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:34,300 to chewed from scribbles and the wall Ahmad musician, plays his 199 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:38,600 violin with a stick wearing the score in his hand. 200 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:42,800 A man with a dancers, huh? At supposes, he is the pope and 201 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,200 a lovesick Man, Without dog barking at him. 202 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,600 Has carved the initials of his obsession on the wall. 203 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,300 His obsession is a notorious prostitute of the day. 204 00:14:54,300 --> 00:14:58,000 From Beachside, the attendance Lookin Through the bars. 205 00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:05,800 Britain must currently present a similar say, to the angels, in 206 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,000 our United Kingdom, Here are people pretending they can 207 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,900 change their gender. Here are others. 208 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:15,600 Gluing them sales to the road because of climate change. 209 00:15:15,900 --> 00:15:19,000 Here, are people slaughtering hundreds of thousands of 210 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,900 beautiful, unborn babies? And here's a parliament passing 211 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:26,500 law to protect the sensitive feelings of these murderers. 212 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,600 There are thousands of illegal immigrants being helped ashore 213 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:35,300 to enjoy benefits and Healthcare that they cannot get elsewhere. 214 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:40,100 Here's a prime minister worshiping, an elephant god 215 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,300 which is idolatry here, are scientists and philosophers 216 00:15:44,300 --> 00:15:47,200 surrounded by evidence of God's being and wisdom. 217 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:51,300 But denying his existence here, religious leaders with the Bible 218 00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:54,100 in their home. Yet missing the way of Salvation 219 00:15:54,100 --> 00:15:56,800 themselves and pointing others away from it. 220 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,900 Here are Sittin, look it on through the bars and here 221 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:05,500 Underneath It All or the jaws of Hell, dearly receiving voltage 222 00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:11,600 at, This was written by the Reverend Douglas W be Somerset 223 00:16:11,900 --> 00:16:17,000 and the free Presbyterian magazine in December 2020 to he 224 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,400 added at the end. Truly God has given Britain up 225 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:25,000 to judgment because of her rejection of Christ Hosea 4 and 226 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,900 6 says because there was rejected knowledge. 227 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:33,600 I will also reject day Romans 1:22 says, professing themselves 228 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:41,400 to be wise, they became fools. Think of the sin in the church. 229 00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:49,500 We have said. Apostasy compromise religious 230 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:54,200 dying greed, you see? It was the sons of Benjamin, the 231 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:58,200 sons of Judah who were Maori and strange waves to benefit 232 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:03,600 themselves militarily. Economically personally and said 233 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:07,400 it was a false message. It was a foolish thing to do. 234 00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:11,500 It was taking them further and further away from the things of 235 00:17:11,500 --> 00:17:14,900 God, and all that was good and godly in the land. 236 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,300 Strange waves, you know, whether called strange waves because 237 00:17:19,300 --> 00:17:22,300 they were turning their heart from glommed they were turning 238 00:17:22,300 --> 00:17:24,000 their heart from the true way of worship. 239 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,800 They were turning their heart to a Dollar Tree that they were not 240 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,400 like The Godly Ruth, he was converted on hidden. 241 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,200 You heart, and he denounced idolatry and heathenism and put 242 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:34,800 our faith and trust in the living. 243 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:38,100 And the true God, no, no. These waves came with their 244 00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:42,100 religion with their gods. Kim with an idolatrous main said 245 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:44,200 it came with the goal of iniquity. 246 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:48,400 It was our Streisand playing what's going on in the free 247 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:53,300 Presbyterian Church. I've heard the call today for 248 00:17:53,400 --> 00:18:00,900 individuals to bring in candles again to burn incense, pictures 249 00:18:00,900 --> 00:18:06,700 of crucifixes pictures, with an acorn of the Lord, Jesus Christ 250 00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:09,700 on it. I've heard the call from young 251 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:13,100 and old, that's to your way, with the authorized version. 252 00:18:13,100 --> 00:18:18,000 It's our kick. And of course many are now 253 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:23,100 quoting the modern new versions of the Bible pointing age where 254 00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:26,400 they believe in their wisdom. That the authorized version is 255 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,900 wrong. I've heard the call to do away 256 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:34,700 with head covering Sadly, many a refusion to take a stand. 257 00:18:36,300 --> 00:18:39,000 Think of the standards of dress and relation to the house of 258 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,800 God. I was speaking to some ladies 259 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:49,200 and they take a stand outside. Abortion clinics, Silent 260 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,700 Witness, silent prayer facing danger for rest. 261 00:18:54,500 --> 00:18:59,800 And what a sad is that our leaders are Salient, they're not 262 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,300 with them. We should be taking the lead. 263 00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:05,800 We have, we have we have stepped aside and others have stepped up 264 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,500 to fill the vacuum. If I could asked and even 265 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:14,100 allowed this, you listen to the call of the Protestant leaders, 266 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,300 luring, the virtues of the Dead Pope Francis, that's one thing 267 00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:21,800 to offer, heartfelt. Condolences to family. 268 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,300 Roman Catholic Community. I can do that but it's quite a 269 00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:29,500 different thing when you Lord a dead leader listen to what the 270 00:19:29,508 --> 00:19:32,900 Reverend David Nixon had say it, he's president of the Methodist 271 00:19:32,900 --> 00:19:35,300 Church. Pope Benedict had a profound 272 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:37,900 influence in the life of the church, his life. 273 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:41,300 Deeply rooted in God, in his teaching, he encouraged all your 274 00:19:41,300 --> 00:19:46,500 closer relationship with Jesus. He was a man of prayer and 275 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:51,100 insensate fulfilled. Ocean a relationship with Jesus. 276 00:19:51,100 --> 00:19:53,100 Do you know what the relationship with Jesus Through 277 00:19:53,100 --> 00:19:55,200 Pope? Francis Wars, it was through the 278 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,900 church mediating. Greece to Sinner's, it wasn't 279 00:19:58,900 --> 00:20:02,200 salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ 280 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,200 alone to the glory of God alone. As found in the scriptures 281 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,200 alone. You see, here's a picture of the 282 00:20:08,700 --> 00:20:13,300 country and the country Center, unhealthy State religiously and 283 00:20:13,300 --> 00:20:16,200 spiritually. But then you think of that, the 284 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,900 state of the church, with all, the liberal estimates going on, 285 00:20:19,900 --> 00:20:25,700 the modernism and the ecumenism. The religious don't agree at the 286 00:20:25,700 --> 00:20:29,900 pastors and there's hardly a cheap 9 from a free Presbyterian 287 00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:33,200 pulpit. Could I read out a prayer for 288 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,400 the church? Listen to this prayer. 289 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:39,000 I didn't make it up. This prayer was given in Kansas 290 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,400 and the USA at the opening session of their Senate, it 291 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,700 seems prayer, still upset. Some people, when Minister Zhu 292 00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:49,700 rate was asked you when the new session of the Kansas Senate, 293 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,600 everyone was expecting the usual generalities but this is what 294 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:57,100 they heard and I read Heavenly Father, we come before you 295 00:20:57,100 --> 00:21:00,300 today, to ask your forgiveness, to seek your direction and 296 00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:03,600 guidance. New your word, says woe to those 297 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,900 who call evil good. But that is exactly what we have 298 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:09,500 done. We have lost our spiritual 299 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:12,300 equilibrium and reversed our values. 300 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,800 We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word and called it 301 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,200 realism. We have worshipped other gods 302 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,200 and cold it. Multiculturalism. 303 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:25,000 We have endorsed perversion and called an alternative lifestyle. 304 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,300 We have exploited the / and called it the lottery. 305 00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:31,300 We have rewarded laziness and called it well for me. 306 00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:33,800 I've killed her unborn and called a choice. 307 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,100 We have shot abortionist and called it. 308 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,400 Justifiable, we have neglected to discipline our children and 309 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,800 called it. Building self-esteem, we have 310 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,600 abused power and called it politics. 311 00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:49,600 We have embezzled public funds and called it essential 312 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,500 expenses. We have institutionalized 313 00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:54,700 bribery and called it sweets of apis. 314 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,600 We have covered at our neighbors possessions and called it a 315 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,200 session, we are polluted the air with profound in pornography and 316 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,200 cold. Freedom of expression. 317 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,000 We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our 318 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,700 forefathers and called it Enlightenment searches o, God 319 00:22:10,100 --> 00:22:12,200 and know our hearts. That they cleanse us from every 320 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,400 sin and set us free. Amen. 321 00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:19,400 The response was immediate a number of legislators walked out 322 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:24,100 during the prayer and protest and six short weeks Central 323 00:22:24,100 --> 00:22:27,700 Christian Church were reverent rate as posture large more than 324 00:22:27,700 --> 00:22:31,300 five thousand phone calls with only 47. 325 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,400 Of those calls responding negatively. 326 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,800 The church has never received International requests for 327 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,200 copies of the prayer, India Africa, Korea. 328 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,200 Here's the Polly with the Lord's, help me this prayer, 329 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,300 sweep over, Nisha, and wholeheartedly become our 330 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:51,800 desire. So that we again can be called 331 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:57,200 one nation under God. I want you to think not only if 332 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,000 the plate of the picture of the country and the prayer for the 333 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,900 country. But I want you to think of this 334 00:23:03,300 --> 00:23:08,400 the plate for the country. In our text, we read the word 335 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:09,800 yet. Now there's hope. 336 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,600 What is the opposite of Hope? Is it not despair? 337 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:28,700 I thought our only one man saw the rest saw to spare Despair 338 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,600 according to dr. Martin lloyd-jones is a terrible 339 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:36,200 black monster It literally means losing all heart. 340 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:40,200 Art those, with no hope and God, no upon the gospel. 341 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,600 No. Hope on the glory of God and the 342 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,300 opposite of who possessed, new expectation of good or God at 343 00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:50,400 work. That sure and certain and is 344 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,900 there not Despair and Ulster tonight. 345 00:23:53,900 --> 00:23:57,100 Is there not a sense of grief depravity? 346 00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:05,000 We have sinned, the church is send the nation Ascend and 347 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:10,600 what's our response to that? Well, here's a real experience 348 00:24:10,900 --> 00:24:14,500 given ourselves to losing heart and despair was not true of 349 00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:18,900 Elijah Ahab and Jezebel. They Ruled the Land. 350 00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:22,700 It was a day of apostasy and wickedness joint monarchs. 351 00:24:22,700 --> 00:24:28,100 So here, the Elijah Jezebel was a foreign strange wife and queen 352 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,600 Elijah fled from her. He went into the Wilderness. 353 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,300 He fell asleep, he laid down and get the spare. 354 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:37,700 He lost sight of all. That was good and godly. 355 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:39,800 And what did he? Lord, take away my life better 356 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,800 for me to die than to live nothing better. 357 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,300 No point, Lord, and love it, no, promise of a change in the 358 00:24:46,300 --> 00:24:52,600 circumstances, death is favored as they're not a sense of 359 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:57,000 grieved assertion, we have lost sight of God's presence, and 360 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,400 God's power. We are believers and we honestly 361 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:05,600 have to reach into our soul. We have to try and feel after 362 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:10,100 God. And we truly feel it, God 363 00:25:10,100 --> 00:25:15,600 himself has removed from us. We have lost the sense of his 364 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,100 presence and not experimental relationship with lost a sense 365 00:25:19,100 --> 00:25:22,200 of us. Power, do we not feel despair? 366 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,200 Because of a sense of grave defilement, do not struggle with 367 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:30,400 her own sin? Do we not feel it's in, has 368 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,300 gained a foothold in our lives. GE in the ascendancy. 369 00:25:34,300 --> 00:25:37,900 The dominance, once again did Paul not pray, o Wretched, Man 370 00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:40,500 that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death. 371 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,100 Do we not feel a sense of great denial? 372 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:48,500 We have prayed and prayed for Revival, others of prayed and 373 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:51,200 prayed for her and Revival is not, come prayer, hasn't been 374 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,500 answered. And in Jeremiah's day, he felt 375 00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:57,700 that great Darkness. He cried and shouted, he wanted 376 00:25:57,700 --> 00:26:00,100 the Lord to come. Felt the Lord of shot ages 377 00:26:00,100 --> 00:26:04,300 prayer. Prayer presented but prayer not 378 00:26:04,300 --> 00:26:07,300 being answered. Is it not a day of great 379 00:26:07,300 --> 00:26:10,500 Darkness? A day of dark Providence, has 380 00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:13,800 one bad thing. After another is happening later 381 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,800 the country, the life of the church a day of trouble, Psalm 382 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:23,000 77, read our asaph Sam Mysore around in the night. 383 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:27,700 My soul refused to be comforted questioning is his Mercy clean 384 00:26:27,700 --> 00:26:29,500 Gone Forever. You see things that are 385 00:26:29,508 --> 00:26:33,300 happening at, you're confused to bite things that you can't 386 00:26:33,300 --> 00:26:35,900 understand. And so much, so that the list, 387 00:26:36,100 --> 00:26:39,900 Romantic your soul and you can't see how the situation can 388 00:26:39,900 --> 00:26:44,500 change. You have no sense of hope. 389 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:52,400 Sense of depravity, the sense of feeling of desertion, a sense of 390 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,900 defilement denial and darkness. The situation is hopeless. 391 00:26:57,900 --> 00:27:00,300 And what does it lead to that leads to Despair? 392 00:27:00,700 --> 00:27:03,400 And you know this despairs? A dangerous thing, because it 393 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,300 means we leave off trust in the Lord. 394 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,800 It means we leave off turning to him. 395 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,900 Why we at upon him? So troubled that we can't speak 396 00:27:11,900 --> 00:27:15,400 to him. We ask what's the point where we 397 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,500 leave off taking up the word of God. 398 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,000 The main says, I don't care what the Bible says, my experiences 399 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,700 in conflict with the Bible. What's the point of being a 400 00:27:23,700 --> 00:27:25,900 Christian? What's the point of being Godly? 401 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,700 What's the point of going to church? 402 00:27:27,700 --> 00:27:30,100 There's no profit. I'm faxed in the Solar. 403 00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:33,100 Can't be bothered. See that's the picture. 404 00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:41,000 Hope must be recognized and God's call to repentance but we 405 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,200 must recognize the picture of the country. 406 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,800 As we see it, the picture and the church as we see it. 407 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,600 The answer is we have send and we must make this prayer to God 408 00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:56,300 under later. That despair realized yet 409 00:27:56,300 --> 00:27:59,800 there's hope. I want you to think of something 410 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:03,600 else, Hope was regarded in God's character of repentance. 411 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,300 If we answer the question, what is repentance? 412 00:28:06,300 --> 00:28:09,400 We get the answer. Repentance unto Life as a Saving 413 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,400 Grace whereby a sinner out of a true sense of a sin and 414 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,300 apprehension of the mercy of God and Christ or through grief and 415 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:18,600 hatred of us in. Turn from it onto gold with full 416 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:25,200 promise off and Ever After new obedience, True and genuine 417 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,100 repentance. Not only the call to it, but the 418 00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:33,100 character of it, is he genuine repentance must be primarily 419 00:28:33,300 --> 00:28:37,400 before God, there has to be confession of sin to God, 420 00:28:38,300 --> 00:28:41,300 Sinners, first and foremost against God and His law. 421 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:44,900 Remember D of it said, second Samuel 12 and 13. 422 00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:49,300 I've sinned against the Lord, he said in Psalm 51 against thee. 423 00:28:49,300 --> 00:28:51,900 Thee only have, I sinned and done this evil in thy sake that 424 00:28:51,900 --> 00:28:53,700 they made it be justified when they speak us. 425 00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:57,400 And be clear. When thou judgest to repentance 426 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,400 feels deeply the wrong of our sins. 427 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:05,400 There's better weeping, there's genuine Brokenness. 428 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:10,800 Not only in a minor thing, but in a major thing, under our 429 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:15,300 sorrow has to be proportionate to the magnitude of our sin. 430 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,600 To repentance accepts the responsibility for what we have 431 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,800 done and yet, true repentance. He's hope in the midst of this 432 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:26,500 despair. There is hope that's real and 433 00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:29,000 the reason for the hope God is gracious. 434 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,400 God is merciful, god is slow to anger Gold's, abounding in Mercy 435 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,000 and Truth with God is plenteous redemption. 436 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:42,700 A God who keeps Covenant with us people I don't want to tell you. 437 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:45,900 Lastly, hope is rooted in God's covenant of redemption. 438 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:52,400 You see this sin, The Taking of strange waves. 439 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,400 Resulted and problems for which there was no easy solution. 440 00:29:59,500 --> 00:30:03,400 One of these Solutions, was this allowed the mixed marriages to 441 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,800 continue? As we couldn't do that because 442 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,100 he felt he was condoning such Behavior. 443 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,600 He knew that if he loaded to continue to draw many more into 444 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:18,000 those mixed, marriages into more sin and 2nd apostasy from the 445 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:19,200 Lord. You see remember First 446 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,200 Corinthians 5 and 6 says A little leaven leaveneth the 447 00:30:22,208 --> 00:30:26,000 whole lump he knew the problem had to be confronted that's why 448 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,600 there was weeping and Brokenness and confession. 449 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:33,700 He knew that it couldn't spread further so we fasted he prayed 450 00:30:33,700 --> 00:30:35,200 he wept. He did the Lesser. 451 00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:38,600 Of the two things he broke up and separated. 452 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,200 They, the strange waves who were married to these sons of 453 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,900 Benjamin and Sons of Judah. He entered into a covenant with 454 00:30:47,900 --> 00:30:52,300 the him. To put them away if they clone 455 00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:56,000 to their gods and clung to their sin and clung to their idolatry. 456 00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:10,000 This Mom check Anaya was an accident man to have in the 457 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,100 church. He said yet Know There's Hope. 458 00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:16,600 And Israel concerning this thing. 459 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:22,000 The word hope means a believing expectation of God, is gracious 460 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:26,400 as goodness and his greatness, and I just asked and closing 461 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,400 tonight. Do we believe in Hope? 462 00:31:31,700 --> 00:31:36,200 For the Church of Artie. Do we believe in Hope for our 463 00:31:36,300 --> 00:31:38,400 country? Do we have a believing 464 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,300 expectation of God and his griest, and his greatness, and 465 00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:45,800 his goodness to come and change the situation. 466 00:31:47,900 --> 00:31:52,000 Because we could talk about the grease of Hope and we could talk 467 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,500 to Nate about the ground of Hope only, we don't have tame and 468 00:31:55,500 --> 00:31:58,900 that grind of Hope as the god of the Covenant. 469 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,300 If you look at the verse 3, it says know therefore which means 470 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:04,500 in light of us. Let us make a covenant with our 471 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:08,300 God. A covenant has to do with the 472 00:32:08,300 --> 00:32:11,400 shedding of blood, the blood of a lamb. 473 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:18,000 You think of the grind of the Covenant of redemption and Grace 474 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,100 that God has made between Father and Son and between son and his 475 00:32:22,100 --> 00:32:25,700 people and the grind of that points to the shed blood of 476 00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:30,500 Christ. And first John, 1 and 7 tells us 477 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,600 the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin. 478 00:32:34,700 --> 00:32:38,000 Without the shedding of blood there is no remission and the 479 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:42,800 blood of Christ guarantees, our hope the blood of Christ as the 480 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,000 ground. Of our expectation for God, the 481 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,200 commoners, Greer's, and his goodness, and his greatness and 482 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:55,400 work a miracle on our behalf. The psalmist prayed, will they 483 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:59,700 not revives again that we thy people may rejoice in thee and 484 00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:05,300 Psalm 85 a tremendous sound? And yet, listen to what he says 485 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:07,900 in verse 10. Mercy and Truth or meet together 486 00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:10,700 righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 487 00:33:11,900 --> 00:33:17,300 Where did that happen? It happened at the cross these 488 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:22,400 attributes, God's mercy, God's truth, God's righteousness and 489 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,200 peace. They were joined together 490 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,700 through the Cross of Christ, through the blood shedding of 491 00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:30,800 Calvary Islam, unless unless grind. 492 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,700 The Gardener's in to Covenant. Anderson this grounded. 493 00:33:37,700 --> 00:33:41,800 God works and we could talk about the grace of this hope and 494 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:44,500 the grind of this hook and we could talk about the greatness 495 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:48,700 of this hope yet Know There's Hope in Israel. 496 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:53,500 Can you get the picture? I have tried very difficult lie, 497 00:33:53,500 --> 00:33:59,500 tonight to present it to you, but if we could recognize this 498 00:33:59,500 --> 00:34:04,800 evening, That there is hope and it's recognized and God's call 499 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,500 to repentance. And that hope must be regarded 500 00:34:08,500 --> 00:34:10,100 in the character of that repentance. 501 00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:13,800 What what God is, actually asking them to do, ran their 502 00:34:13,900 --> 00:34:19,100 hearts, not their garments and that hope is rooted in God's 503 00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:23,699 covenant of redemption, and even though sin results and problems 504 00:34:23,699 --> 00:34:25,300 for which there's no easy solution. 505 00:34:25,699 --> 00:34:31,400 The overall solution is the power of the blood of Christ by 506 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,600 the Lord, take us word this evening and bless it to us. 507 00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:09,500 And that hope must be regarded in the character of that 508 00:34:09,500 --> 00:34:11,500 repentance. What what God is, actually 509 00:34:11,500 --> 00:34:16,699 asking them to do, ran their hearts, not their garments and 510 00:34:16,699 --> 00:34:21,900 that hope is rooted in God's covenant of redemption, and even 511 00:34:21,900 --> 00:34:24,600 though sin results and problems for which there's no easy 512 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,900 solution. The overall solution is the 513 00:34:27,900 --> 00:34:32,900 power of the blood of Christ by the Lord, take us word this 514 00:34:32,900 --> 00:34:34,600 evening and bless it to us.