1 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:17,040 There's part of our humanity that causes us to look back, whether 2 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,480 it's because of nostalgia or historical intrigue. 3 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,880 We look back to events in history that interest us because 4 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:29,010 of their significance or the fact that they link us to something 5 00:00:29,090 --> 00:00:31,890 bigger than the moment in which we're living. 6 00:00:32,290 --> 00:00:35,530 And major historical events would include the sinking of the 7 00:00:35,530 --> 00:00:39,370 Titanic, the world wars, or more locally, the building of the 8 00:00:39,370 --> 00:00:40,090 Silent Valley. 9 00:00:40,090 --> 00:00:44,090 You can't get away from the fact that all of these, either globally 10 00:00:44,090 --> 00:00:47,650 or locally, have had a significance as who we are. 11 00:00:48,770 --> 00:00:53,340 The question is, whenever we do look back, do we learn lessons 12 00:00:53,500 --> 00:00:58,460 from history so that history doesn't negatively repeat itself? 13 00:00:59,180 --> 00:01:02,180 Now we can only hope that world leaders learn the horrors of 14 00:01:02,180 --> 00:01:06,180 war and that safety equipment was put into place to ensure the 15 00:01:06,180 --> 00:01:07,220 preservation of life. 16 00:01:07,220 --> 00:01:10,060 Following the deaths during the building of the reservoirs of 17 00:01:10,060 --> 00:01:10,900 the Silent Valley. 18 00:01:10,900 --> 00:01:13,260 I had the occasion to be up there this week. 19 00:01:13,260 --> 00:01:16,780 We had some visitors over from Malawi and we took them up to the 20 00:01:16,780 --> 00:01:17,540 Silent Valley. 21 00:01:17,540 --> 00:01:20,720 And I probably don't normally get time to look at the different 22 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,520 boards that are there that explained the story of the Ceylon 23 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:23,960 Valley. 24 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,200 And as we know, there were lives lost. 25 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,400 And so we can only hope that if there were inquiries, lessons 26 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,159 will have been learned so that construction in the future from that 27 00:01:34,159 --> 00:01:35,640 moment would have been safer. 28 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,520 And we do know for sure that things changed in shipbuilding after 29 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:48,190 the Titanic disaster, not least ensuring appropriate lifeboats 30 00:01:48,350 --> 00:01:49,630 for every passenger. 31 00:01:50,670 --> 00:01:54,750 Well, growing up, I was always aware of what was known as the Armagh 32 00:01:54,830 --> 00:01:56,190 railway disaster. 33 00:01:56,990 --> 00:02:02,030 On 12 June 1889, the Methodist Sunday School was going on their 34 00:02:02,030 --> 00:02:04,190 annual excursion to Warm Point. 35 00:02:04,830 --> 00:02:07,350 They would march quite literally from the centre of the 36 00:02:07,350 --> 00:02:11,470 town with a brass band leading them the whole way out the Loch Gall 37 00:02:11,470 --> 00:02:13,240 Road to, to the train station. 38 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,520 And there they boarded the train that would take them first 39 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,040 northwards towards Port o' Donne, and then they would divert 40 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:26,480 off to head down towards Newry and then on to Warren Point. 41 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,480 There were so many children attending that as the train left, 42 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,400 our man headed that eastwards towards Newry. 43 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,360 The engine wasn't able to climb a steep gradient that was about 44 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:38,680 two miles out of the city. 45 00:02:39,580 --> 00:02:42,140 And the decision was made to unhook the carriages. 46 00:02:42,620 --> 00:02:49,580 And so stones, stones were put in the wheels of the last carriages 47 00:02:49,900 --> 00:02:53,500 in the hope that of the 12 carriages, these stones would hold 48 00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:58,580 six of them, so that the engine would take the front six on 49 00:02:58,580 --> 00:03:00,700 and come back and get the other ones. 50 00:03:01,980 --> 00:03:06,380 Well, what happened was that as the engine unhooked the first 51 00:03:06,380 --> 00:03:09,500 six, once it had reached the top of the hill, they rolled back, 52 00:03:10,330 --> 00:03:13,370 collided with the remaining six carriages at the back, leading 53 00:03:13,370 --> 00:03:15,610 to 80 deaths, mostly children. 54 00:03:15,610 --> 00:03:19,290 And to this day, as you walk around St. Mark's parish church just 55 00:03:19,290 --> 00:03:23,050 off the Mall in Armagh, you will find most of the headstones 56 00:03:23,450 --> 00:03:26,610 to those who died on that Sunday school excursion. 57 00:03:26,610 --> 00:03:28,890 The Armagh railway disaster. 58 00:03:28,890 --> 00:03:30,890 And this is genuine photograph. 59 00:03:31,210 --> 00:03:35,410 We grew up seeing this around Armagh, knowing of the disaster that 60 00:03:35,410 --> 00:03:35,830 took place. 61 00:03:36,700 --> 00:03:39,140 Well, following an investigation, it was discovered 62 00:03:39,140 --> 00:03:43,820 that the braking system used on trains of that time weren't effective. 63 00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:49,820 And since then, all because of the Armagh railway disaster, automatic 64 00:03:49,900 --> 00:03:55,260 continuous braking systems have been installed in every train 65 00:03:55,580 --> 00:03:56,060 built. 66 00:03:56,940 --> 00:04:02,500 A lesson learned that has saved countless lives in the rest 67 00:04:02,500 --> 00:04:02,940 of history. 68 00:04:03,660 --> 00:04:06,980 Now, I tell this story not because I love telling you stories 69 00:04:06,980 --> 00:04:10,940 about Armah, because it's a great place to go and visit, but 70 00:04:10,940 --> 00:04:18,060 because Psalm 79 is a Psalm about looking back, but not in a 71 00:04:18,060 --> 00:04:24,140 way that is about nostalgia, not in a way where the Jews now who 72 00:04:24,140 --> 00:04:28,140 are singing this can be more entrenched in their culture. 73 00:04:29,380 --> 00:04:34,300 Rather, looking back and learning from history so that the 74 00:04:34,300 --> 00:04:38,740 people can know a better future, they're not simply looking 75 00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:42,660 back and remembering a good old day. 76 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:46,940 They're looking back so they can trust God in the future. 77 00:04:46,940 --> 00:04:50,940 And to help us understand what we're being told, the Psalm divides 78 00:04:50,940 --> 00:04:58,850 into four Ps, a problem, a plea, penitence and perseverance. 79 00:04:59,810 --> 00:05:03,890 So we begin in verses 1 to 4 with the problem that the people 80 00:05:03,970 --> 00:05:04,610 are facing. 81 00:05:04,610 --> 00:05:09,450 And although we're not told specifically when or why this psalm 82 00:05:09,450 --> 00:05:12,730 is written, we do get a good sense of what's happening whenever 83 00:05:12,730 --> 00:05:15,010 we read verse one, because we're told there. 84 00:05:15,010 --> 00:05:15,570 Oh God. 85 00:05:15,570 --> 00:05:17,410 This is the first verse of this song. 86 00:05:17,410 --> 00:05:20,970 The children of Israel would sing, O God, the nations have invaded 87 00:05:20,970 --> 00:05:21,810 your inheritance. 88 00:05:22,290 --> 00:05:24,610 They have defiled your holy temple. 89 00:05:24,930 --> 00:05:27,650 They have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 90 00:05:28,770 --> 00:05:31,330 Now, during the period of the psalms, whenever these psalms would 91 00:05:31,330 --> 00:05:34,610 be sung by the community of God's people worshiping together, 92 00:05:35,170 --> 00:05:39,370 the only occasion that we would have known of such destruction 93 00:05:39,370 --> 00:05:44,010 of the holy city tells us that this is a psalm that is written either 94 00:05:44,010 --> 00:05:48,170 during or in response to the Babylonian exile, and that the enemy, 95 00:05:48,170 --> 00:05:51,960 that is the Gentile nations, have raised the city to the ground. 96 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:55,480 This is what Ezra and Nehemiah come back and find. 97 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,600 So it's probably a psalm written around that time. 98 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:01,160 But look at what they say. 99 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:06,720 They talk about invading God's inheritance, defiling the holy temple, 100 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,520 and to invade the land of God's promise to defile the temple 101 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:12,600 is a horrible sacrilege. 102 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:18,040 These nations are treating something holy as unclean, which 103 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,680 is an atrocity against God. 104 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,640 And things get worse in verse two, because, as the psalmist tells 105 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,600 us, they have unwantingly or they have wantingly slaughtered God's 106 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,160 own people and left their bodies unburied for wild animals 107 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:30,680 to eat. 108 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,000 This is a gruesome and a gory scene. 109 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,520 But this is mentioned because burial in a tomb shows proper respect 110 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:41,560 for the dead, something that all humanity believes is important, 111 00:06:42,580 --> 00:06:44,260 rather than what has been described here. 112 00:06:45,300 --> 00:06:49,900 So this is not just defilement of God and who he is, but of the 113 00:06:49,900 --> 00:06:50,900 covenant people. 114 00:06:51,620 --> 00:06:54,420 And really, it's verse four that sums up the problems of these 115 00:06:54,420 --> 00:06:54,740 people. 116 00:06:54,980 --> 00:06:58,620 Because there, we're told we are objects of reproach to our neighbors, 117 00:06:58,620 --> 00:07:01,780 of scorn and derision to those around. 118 00:07:02,900 --> 00:07:07,180 And so as the congregation sings this, they're thinking about 119 00:07:07,180 --> 00:07:08,830 what this is like out there. 120 00:07:09,310 --> 00:07:12,590 What's the perspective now of the nations looking in? 121 00:07:12,590 --> 00:07:14,870 And this is important for the children of Israel. 122 00:07:14,870 --> 00:07:15,790 It's always been important. 123 00:07:16,750 --> 00:07:19,230 See, what's described here would hurt any people. 124 00:07:19,710 --> 00:07:22,030 But the people singing this are God's people. 125 00:07:22,030 --> 00:07:24,270 And the neighbors are Gentiles. 126 00:07:25,230 --> 00:07:29,030 God's people were supposed to be an advertisement to the Gentiles 127 00:07:29,030 --> 00:07:30,910 of how great and good God is. 128 00:07:31,150 --> 00:07:34,830 But instead, and by the way, it is through their unfaithfulness 129 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:39,020 they have become an object lesson for those nations. 130 00:07:40,060 --> 00:07:43,580 And the people aren't ignorant of this fact, as verse 8 will go 131 00:07:43,580 --> 00:07:44,380 on to tell us. 132 00:07:45,180 --> 00:07:48,620 But their problem is as a covenant people of God. 133 00:07:49,020 --> 00:07:53,300 They are knowing evil attack by their enemies, and so they can't 134 00:07:53,300 --> 00:07:56,700 be who they are supposed to be before God. 135 00:07:56,700 --> 00:07:59,020 And so they cry out to God for help. 136 00:08:00,950 --> 00:08:04,150 And as we've been going through the psalms these past number 137 00:08:04,310 --> 00:08:08,470 of months, there have been psalms that have been about waiting 138 00:08:09,830 --> 00:08:14,790 where the waiting people cry out to God, waiting that he will 139 00:08:14,790 --> 00:08:17,630 take action when things get tough. 140 00:08:17,630 --> 00:08:23,430 And maybe I have assumed that this is the action that we all take 141 00:08:23,510 --> 00:08:25,430 during the tough times of life. 142 00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:29,070 I have assumed that each of us cry out to God to help us when life 143 00:08:29,070 --> 00:08:31,430 isn't going as we'd hoped or planned. 144 00:08:32,390 --> 00:08:33,510 But maybe I'm wrong. 145 00:08:34,470 --> 00:08:37,670 Maybe we don't cry out to him as much as I assume. 146 00:08:38,870 --> 00:08:44,790 And the reasons for that could be because of shame or deceit, where 147 00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:49,910 we don't want to admit the sin or laziness or pride. 148 00:08:51,270 --> 00:08:54,470 There are many reasons why we wouldn't cry out to God. 149 00:08:54,470 --> 00:08:58,710 But as we turn to now, the plea of his people in this psalm, 150 00:08:58,710 --> 00:09:03,560 we discover that they can turn nowhere else but to the Lord. 151 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,480 So my assumptions that we all turn to the Lord when things get 152 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,240 tough may not be accurate, but today we learn from this psalm that 153 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:15,960 we still can turn to him. 154 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,600 Because in verses five to seven we get what their plea is. 155 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,840 So as much as we know the problem that it is to do with the 156 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,440 Gentile nations that have raised Jerusalem to the ground, we 157 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,310 now hear what they want God to do. 158 00:09:28,180 --> 00:09:28,980 What is the plea? 159 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:32,940 Well, they cry out to him, wanting to know, as we've seen in 160 00:09:32,940 --> 00:09:37,180 other verses, how long, how long will it be before he acts in 161 00:09:37,180 --> 00:09:37,780 their defense? 162 00:09:38,580 --> 00:09:42,980 And these verses guide God's people in what they should feel at 163 00:09:42,980 --> 00:09:43,699 such a time. 164 00:09:44,420 --> 00:09:47,660 Because the psalm directs the congregation's attention away from 165 00:09:47,660 --> 00:09:50,820 the question of how long he will let them suffer like this. 166 00:09:51,460 --> 00:09:54,980 After all, the psalm is suited to an occasion on which the people 167 00:09:55,140 --> 00:09:59,190 suffer because God is angry and, and his jealousy burns with 168 00:09:59,190 --> 00:10:00,750 their unfaithfulness. 169 00:10:01,390 --> 00:10:03,870 And that's what verse five is asking. 170 00:10:04,750 --> 00:10:08,590 So rather the question for this occasion is of how long he will 171 00:10:08,590 --> 00:10:11,950 allow the nations to get away with what they have done. 172 00:10:12,510 --> 00:10:15,990 And verse 6 echoes what Jeremiah says in chapter 10 and verse 173 00:10:15,990 --> 00:10:16,430 25. 174 00:10:16,430 --> 00:10:20,110 But verse 6 says for us, pour out your wrath on the nations that 175 00:10:20,110 --> 00:10:24,030 do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your 176 00:10:24,030 --> 00:10:24,350 name. 177 00:10:25,610 --> 00:10:28,930 And even though, and in our text we heard it described as Jacob, 178 00:10:28,930 --> 00:10:29,770 that is Israel. 179 00:10:30,010 --> 00:10:34,330 So even though Jacob in verse seven tells us has been unfaithful, 180 00:10:34,570 --> 00:10:37,130 the Israelites still belong to the Lord. 181 00:10:37,610 --> 00:10:42,330 And the instruments of God's chastising hand must be humbled, 182 00:10:42,330 --> 00:10:44,250 that is the nations who have brought this about. 183 00:10:45,210 --> 00:10:47,370 So the plea of God's people is twofold. 184 00:10:47,690 --> 00:10:52,580 They want to be restored and they want their enemies humbled. 185 00:10:54,580 --> 00:10:59,860 The problem for us today is that at times we don't want our enemy 186 00:10:59,860 --> 00:11:00,500 humbled. 187 00:11:02,820 --> 00:11:07,940 See, our enemy is sin, and there are, by the way, our real enemy. 188 00:11:07,940 --> 00:11:11,300 We might think we have other enemies, but our real enemy is sin. 189 00:11:11,620 --> 00:11:17,290 And there are times when we love our sin too much that we don't 190 00:11:17,290 --> 00:11:20,530 want to bring it before God because we believe we would lose 191 00:11:20,610 --> 00:11:22,530 whatever pleasure it would be of life. 192 00:11:23,570 --> 00:11:26,370 But nothing could be further from the truth. 193 00:11:27,250 --> 00:11:33,250 Our sin may appear to be what we need today, but its consequences 194 00:11:33,330 --> 00:11:38,130 will have far reaching consequences in this life and in 195 00:11:38,130 --> 00:11:38,770 eternity. 196 00:11:39,330 --> 00:11:42,930 The people of Psalm 79 are about to acknowledge their sin, but 197 00:11:42,930 --> 00:11:45,970 the psalm so far has told us of its consequences. 198 00:11:46,660 --> 00:11:51,460 Their sin has displaced them, their sin has hurt them as they're 199 00:11:51,460 --> 00:11:52,980 subjected to foreign rule. 200 00:11:53,540 --> 00:11:57,260 And their sin has destroyed the one place that they want to go, 201 00:11:57,260 --> 00:11:59,140 to Jerusalem. 202 00:12:00,180 --> 00:12:05,580 Sin has consequences and we must wake up to this fact so that 203 00:12:05,580 --> 00:12:08,980 we will seek the only forgiveness of our sins that we can 204 00:12:08,980 --> 00:12:12,180 know, that forgiveness that comes in Jesus Christ. 205 00:12:13,020 --> 00:12:16,260 That's why John writes what he does in First John, chapter one and 206 00:12:16,260 --> 00:12:17,500 verses eight and nine. 207 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:21,380 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth 208 00:12:21,380 --> 00:12:22,540 is not in us. 209 00:12:23,020 --> 00:12:27,540 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive 210 00:12:27,540 --> 00:12:32,220 us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 211 00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:39,330 You see, there's a problem, and ultimately that problem problem 212 00:12:39,970 --> 00:12:43,570 is the sin that the people are facing because of their unfaithfulness. 213 00:12:43,570 --> 00:12:46,610 And their plea to God is that indeed he will take action. 214 00:12:47,810 --> 00:12:51,090 And in their eyes, it might be action against a hostile nation, 215 00:12:51,090 --> 00:12:53,010 the Babylonians or the Assyrians. 216 00:12:53,970 --> 00:12:58,810 But in reality, for them and for us today, the real enemy is the 217 00:12:58,810 --> 00:12:59,730 sin in our lives. 218 00:13:01,570 --> 00:13:04,050 That's my problem, my sin. 219 00:13:05,020 --> 00:13:06,220 And it's your problem too. 220 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:13,260 Because as we go into the next section, we will see what is a penitent 221 00:13:13,340 --> 00:13:14,060 spirit. 222 00:13:14,620 --> 00:13:19,860 Because verses 8 to 10 talk about penitence or the penitence 223 00:13:19,860 --> 00:13:20,300 of the people. 224 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:25,420 And penitence is another word for repentance or seeking forgiveness. 225 00:13:26,940 --> 00:13:31,180 I've told you before of my great love of the Indiana Jones franchise 226 00:13:31,180 --> 00:13:31,820 of movies. 227 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,640 And then the last of the third, where they go looking for 228 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:39,760 the Holy Grail, the last Crusade. 229 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:45,120 As Indiana Jones approaches the place where there is supposed 230 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,960 to be the Holy Grail, he has to go through three different tests. 231 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,480 And one of them is about penitence. 232 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,920 And as he recites, the penitent man kneels before God. 233 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,630 The penitent man kneels before God. 234 00:13:59,790 --> 00:14:04,510 He kneels as these circular saws basically come across him. 235 00:14:04,910 --> 00:14:08,590 But he's not hit by them because he's kneeled down, because 236 00:14:08,590 --> 00:14:10,350 that's what the penitent does. 237 00:14:12,270 --> 00:14:18,670 And that's the language of Scripture, to be penitent, to know 238 00:14:18,670 --> 00:14:20,150 who we are before the Lord. 239 00:14:20,150 --> 00:14:22,030 And that's where the people are moving to. 240 00:14:22,990 --> 00:14:25,750 As I said just a few minutes ago, verse 8 was going to show us 241 00:14:25,750 --> 00:14:26,790 what is the heart of the people. 242 00:14:26,790 --> 00:14:30,650 Because in verse eight they cry out, do not hold against us of 243 00:14:30,650 --> 00:14:31,450 the fathers. 244 00:14:31,770 --> 00:14:36,250 May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate 245 00:14:36,330 --> 00:14:36,730 need. 246 00:14:37,290 --> 00:14:39,330 The people are looking forgiveness of sins. 247 00:14:39,330 --> 00:14:40,770 They are penitent before God. 248 00:14:40,770 --> 00:14:42,010 They kneel before Him. 249 00:14:42,410 --> 00:14:46,690 They know that their greatest need from the sin around them is 250 00:14:46,690 --> 00:14:48,890 salvation in God alone. 251 00:14:49,290 --> 00:14:51,050 They want him to come quickly. 252 00:14:51,610 --> 00:14:54,930 They want him to come and rescue them from the consequences 253 00:14:54,930 --> 00:14:58,090 that they are facing because of their rebellion against him. 254 00:14:59,140 --> 00:15:01,460 They want help from him and they want deliverance. 255 00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:06,620 And they want this not so that they can have an easy life, but for 256 00:15:06,620 --> 00:15:08,100 the glory of the name of the Lord. 257 00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:13,300 And as his covenant people, they want his name to be lifted up 258 00:15:13,540 --> 00:15:15,700 and honored above any other. 259 00:15:16,500 --> 00:15:20,820 And that's what they sing as they get to verse 10. 260 00:15:21,380 --> 00:15:25,580 Why should the nation say, where is their God before our eyes? 261 00:15:25,580 --> 00:15:29,540 Make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood 262 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:30,820 of your servants. 263 00:15:32,660 --> 00:15:37,060 Now this is a dangerous thing to sing by the people before God 264 00:15:37,780 --> 00:15:40,940 because as they seek the punishment of others for their sins 265 00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:44,340 against God, they need to be very aware of the punishment that 266 00:15:44,340 --> 00:15:46,820 they deserve because of their own sin. 267 00:15:47,380 --> 00:15:51,420 They're not a people who think that it is everyone else who deserves 268 00:15:51,420 --> 00:15:54,500 God, or they're not to be a people people who think that it is 269 00:15:54,500 --> 00:15:57,340 everyone else who deserves God's wrath and not them. 270 00:15:58,140 --> 00:16:00,300 And this is a reality we need to remember. 271 00:16:00,780 --> 00:16:02,140 We're all born in sin. 272 00:16:02,300 --> 00:16:06,740 We're all shaped by that sin, or shaped in iniquity, as the King 273 00:16:06,740 --> 00:16:07,860 James Version tells us. 274 00:16:07,860 --> 00:16:10,540 And that's what we find in Psalm 51. 275 00:16:11,180 --> 00:16:14,340 And because of this, we rightly deserve the punishment that 276 00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:15,500 our sins deserve. 277 00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:17,740 And remember what sin is. 278 00:16:18,710 --> 00:16:22,750 Sin is any want of conformity onto or transgression of the law 279 00:16:22,750 --> 00:16:23,430 of God. 280 00:16:23,590 --> 00:16:26,150 Westminster shorter catechism number 14. 281 00:16:26,710 --> 00:16:31,750 In other words, sin is disobeying or not conforming to God's 282 00:16:31,750 --> 00:16:33,110 law in any way. 283 00:16:34,150 --> 00:16:36,150 Isn't that what we're seeing with the girls and boys? 284 00:16:36,870 --> 00:16:37,790 Isn't that what we're seeing? 285 00:16:37,790 --> 00:16:40,430 The stories that they're learning that the people receive 286 00:16:40,430 --> 00:16:43,310 the Ten Commandments, but then immediately, as soon as Moses isn't 287 00:16:43,310 --> 00:16:46,760 around for 40 days, rejects them and they build of themselves 288 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:47,800 a golden calf? 289 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:54,560 You see, as humanity, we need to know we are prone to not conforming 290 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:55,400 to God's way. 291 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:57,720 We want to do it our way. 292 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,760 We want the shortcuts in business because it'll benefit us 293 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,240 regardless of the moral or integrity implications. 294 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:11,450 We want to be able to say and do things about other people because 295 00:17:11,450 --> 00:17:14,810 it vindicates us and paints them to be the bad person. 296 00:17:16,490 --> 00:17:21,330 We want to do it all because that's our way, not conforming to 297 00:17:21,330 --> 00:17:22,010 God's way. 298 00:17:24,010 --> 00:17:25,770 Now take a moment and think about that. 299 00:17:26,650 --> 00:17:30,770 And if you think hard and deeply, you will discover no matter 300 00:17:30,770 --> 00:17:34,330 who you are, you have sinned in the past 24 hours. 301 00:17:34,330 --> 00:17:38,260 You have not conformed to to God's law in any way. 302 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:44,980 We each, myself included, have said things or done things or thought 303 00:17:44,980 --> 00:17:49,460 things that we know go against what God's word tells us is his law 304 00:17:49,460 --> 00:17:50,980 or his standard for us. 305 00:17:51,780 --> 00:17:55,780 And so today, like the people of old, we are all here needing to 306 00:17:55,780 --> 00:17:57,300 know the forgiveness of God. 307 00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:00,340 But there are two types of people here. 308 00:18:00,820 --> 00:18:04,100 There are those who know Christ as Savior and therefore have 309 00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:07,150 had their sins past from present and future forgiven. 310 00:18:07,470 --> 00:18:11,830 But this doesn't mean that we can sin freely and think that we 311 00:18:11,830 --> 00:18:12,830 can get away with it. 312 00:18:13,390 --> 00:18:18,670 Rather, the daily sins that ensnare us need to be repented of. 313 00:18:19,470 --> 00:18:23,470 We may not face eternal punishment for them, but we do need 314 00:18:23,470 --> 00:18:27,390 to repent, because that's what a loving, living relationship means. 315 00:18:29,150 --> 00:18:33,290 Think of those who are closest to you in your life, and when you've 316 00:18:33,290 --> 00:18:35,570 done them wrong, do you not want to apologize? 317 00:18:35,570 --> 00:18:39,010 Well, you should if you want any hope or future in that relationship. 318 00:18:41,090 --> 00:18:46,090 We repent because we care, and we care because we have hurt someone. 319 00:18:46,090 --> 00:18:50,130 And our sin is an offense before the Lord. 320 00:18:50,130 --> 00:18:54,010 And it is only by coming in repentance through Jesus that we 321 00:18:54,010 --> 00:18:57,650 can know that sin is forgiven and the assurance of pardon. 322 00:18:58,340 --> 00:19:02,300 And so that's one type of person here who knows Christ as Lord 323 00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:06,700 and Savior, but also needs to know that as we sin daily, we need 324 00:19:06,700 --> 00:19:08,500 to seek forgiveness of that sin. 325 00:19:09,220 --> 00:19:14,900 But then there are those here this morning who know their sin, 326 00:19:15,700 --> 00:19:17,140 but don't know a Savior. 327 00:19:18,100 --> 00:19:21,300 So you will have to bear the punishment that your sins deserve. 328 00:19:21,460 --> 00:19:23,060 And that is a terrible thing. 329 00:19:23,710 --> 00:19:26,750 It's a terrible thing because the punishment is so great. 330 00:19:27,710 --> 00:19:32,590 Simply thinking that you are a good person and justifying your goodness 331 00:19:33,070 --> 00:19:33,950 is not enough. 332 00:19:34,910 --> 00:19:38,270 The only goodness that we're to know is the goodness of Christ 333 00:19:38,830 --> 00:19:42,430 and the salvation he offers through his death on Calvary's cross. 334 00:19:42,430 --> 00:19:45,510 That's why Paul tells us in Romans 8:1 2. 335 00:19:45,510 --> 00:19:48,590 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in 336 00:19:48,590 --> 00:19:52,470 Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit 337 00:19:52,470 --> 00:19:53,300 of life saved us. 338 00:19:53,530 --> 00:19:56,730 Set me free from the law of sin and death. 339 00:19:57,450 --> 00:20:02,090 The only way that we can know forgiveness of our sins is not by 340 00:20:02,090 --> 00:20:06,490 thinking that we're good people, rather looking to Christ, 341 00:20:07,290 --> 00:20:11,290 because it is through him that we've been set free from the law 342 00:20:11,450 --> 00:20:13,210 of sin and death. 343 00:20:14,570 --> 00:20:18,850 The answer to the guilt and punishment of our sin is not our 344 00:20:18,850 --> 00:20:19,530 own goodness. 345 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:21,280 It's Christ. 346 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,840 He can only be our salvation. 347 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,120 And trust in him leads us to the final verses of this psalm and 348 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:33,600 their call for preservation or perseverance in verses 11 to 13. 349 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,520 These final verses lead to the effect of the forgiveness prayed 350 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,440 for, namely, that God will preserve those of his people condemned 351 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:42,960 to die. 352 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,790 Now, perhaps the reference in the text here is to prisoners, meaning 353 00:20:46,790 --> 00:20:48,670 that they're literally to be executed. 354 00:20:48,910 --> 00:20:52,190 But it's more likely, as most of the psalms do, present for us 355 00:20:52,190 --> 00:20:56,230 a wider understanding, that the people praying this see themselves 356 00:20:56,230 --> 00:21:00,430 as under a sentence of death, that is abandonment by God. 357 00:21:02,030 --> 00:21:06,350 The reproach hurled by the neighbors against God's people are 358 00:21:06,350 --> 00:21:08,110 taken to be against God himself. 359 00:21:08,110 --> 00:21:11,870 So verse 12 asks that God would give the destroyers what they 360 00:21:11,870 --> 00:21:14,270 deserve for daring to taunt them. 361 00:21:15,630 --> 00:21:20,150 And verse 13 concludes this Psalm by looking forward to the granting 362 00:21:20,150 --> 00:21:22,430 of forgiveness and pledges. 363 00:21:22,590 --> 00:21:26,750 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you 364 00:21:26,910 --> 00:21:27,550 forever. 365 00:21:27,870 --> 00:21:32,910 From generation to generation, we will recount your praise. 366 00:21:33,710 --> 00:21:36,430 See, this is what God made them for. 367 00:21:36,910 --> 00:21:40,790 And to sing this psalm sincerely is to accept this as a 368 00:21:40,790 --> 00:21:45,140 call to genuine embrace of the covenant, a covenant that is from 369 00:21:45,140 --> 00:21:48,980 generation to generation because of the steadfast love of 370 00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:49,380 God. 371 00:21:50,020 --> 00:21:53,980 And this covenant that we talk about, this promise of God towards 372 00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:56,260 us is now known through the blood of Jesus. 373 00:21:57,060 --> 00:21:58,980 That's how God demonstrates His love. 374 00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:01,860 That's where all of the promises of God are fulfilled in 375 00:22:01,860 --> 00:22:03,540 Christ and in him alone. 376 00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:09,780 That indeed we can know daily forgiveness as we repent of our daily 377 00:22:09,860 --> 00:22:10,340 sins. 378 00:22:11,620 --> 00:22:16,580 But we have that eternal hope because of everything that Jesus 379 00:22:16,580 --> 00:22:17,140 has done. 380 00:22:18,740 --> 00:22:24,260 Looking back at our past should assure us for the future. 381 00:22:25,540 --> 00:22:30,180 And one moment in human history 2000 years ago should give 382 00:22:30,180 --> 00:22:34,260 us great assurance that whoever we are here today, we have 383 00:22:34,260 --> 00:22:37,640 great hope and assurance in salvation in Jesus Christ. 384 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,320 Young people, you're going back to school. 385 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:47,880 Don't fear those moving on to college or university or into the 386 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:48,440 workplace. 387 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:54,360 Don't fear those facing the unknown of health challenges, family 388 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:56,200 issues and even retirement. 389 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:58,440 Don't fear. 390 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,000 Trust in the one who has been with you in the past, that he will 391 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,440 keep you in the days ahead. 392 00:23:05,630 --> 00:23:09,510 Psalm 79 demonstrates his loving care towards his people so 393 00:23:09,510 --> 00:23:11,070 that we too can know it today. 394 00:23:11,390 --> 00:23:16,150 He is the only one who drives out fear, but he is also the only 395 00:23:16,150 --> 00:23:18,270 one who can give us salvation. 396 00:23:19,470 --> 00:23:24,110 God doesn't show his love towards us because we are good people. 397 00:23:24,830 --> 00:23:27,230 None of us can ever be good enough. 398 00:23:27,950 --> 00:23:33,890 God shows us his love because we are sinners and and we desperately 399 00:23:34,050 --> 00:23:35,090 need him. 400 00:23:36,290 --> 00:23:41,730 And Psalm 79 tells us that as we wait on the Lord, we can trust 401 00:23:41,730 --> 00:23:45,250 him today, and he will be faithful. 402 00:23:46,370 --> 00:23:50,610 Paul writes in 2nd Thessalonians 3 and verse 3. 403 00:23:51,010 --> 00:23:56,130 But the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you 404 00:23:56,450 --> 00:23:57,450 from the evil. 405 00:23:57,450 --> 00:24:06,280 1 4p's the problem which we all have, the problem with our greatest 406 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:07,440 enemy sin. 407 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,840 The second P, the plea. 408 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,240 What do we want to do about it? 409 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:13,040 And that's the question. 410 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,800 What do we want God to do with that problem of sin in our lives. 411 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,760 Do we want him to deal with it or are we happy for him to ignore 412 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:22,080 it? 413 00:24:23,690 --> 00:24:27,050 Because if we're happy for him to ignore it, sin still needs to 414 00:24:27,050 --> 00:24:29,770 be punished and we will face that ourselves. 415 00:24:29,850 --> 00:24:34,570 Rather, we're to cry out to him with that plea to forgive us. 416 00:24:35,850 --> 00:24:42,650 So we have the problem and we have the plea, but we also have the 417 00:24:42,650 --> 00:24:43,370 preservation. 418 00:24:44,490 --> 00:24:49,370 And let me give you an extra fifth one, a free pea, if you like. 419 00:24:50,010 --> 00:24:52,330 Number five, protection. 420 00:24:53,530 --> 00:24:55,370 This is who God is to us. 421 00:24:56,330 --> 00:24:59,290 He protects us because he keeps us. 422 00:24:59,610 --> 00:25:02,410 That's what Paul is saying in Second Thessalonians. 423 00:25:02,810 --> 00:25:04,370 He's the only one who is faithful. 424 00:25:04,370 --> 00:25:05,770 He's the only one who is true. 425 00:25:06,170 --> 00:25:08,330 My goodness is never good enough. 426 00:25:09,050 --> 00:25:11,930 It's only the goodness of Christ by which I can live. 427 00:25:13,370 --> 00:25:16,940 I grew up knowing of the Armagh railway disaster, and every 428 00:25:16,940 --> 00:25:19,660 time since then I've stood on a train, I've always looked at the 429 00:25:19,660 --> 00:25:23,380 braking system to make sure it's still going to work. 430 00:25:24,820 --> 00:25:29,460 I hope we look back at the past and see God's goodness and his 431 00:25:29,460 --> 00:25:30,100 faithfulness. 432 00:25:31,140 --> 00:25:36,420 I hope we have known it in recent months as well as in the years 433 00:25:36,420 --> 00:25:41,940 and decades gone by, so that whatever this next season brings 434 00:25:41,940 --> 00:25:48,770 to us, we stand as God's people did with our plea to him to 435 00:25:48,770 --> 00:25:55,130 keep us, to draw us closer to Himself, knowing that he will never 436 00:25:55,130 --> 00:25:56,810 leave us or abandon us. 437 00:25:57,450 --> 00:26:00,970 But this day we will trust in him and in him alone. 438 00:26:01,850 --> 00:26:02,650 Let's pray. 439 00:26:03,290 --> 00:26:06,730 Our Father God, we thank you that as we think of this psalm, we're 440 00:26:06,730 --> 00:26:09,290 drawn to Christ and the person of Christ for who he is. 441 00:26:11,170 --> 00:26:14,970 Your greatest demonstration of love to us is in sending your one 442 00:26:14,970 --> 00:26:19,370 and only Son to die on the cross so that we can know that our 443 00:26:19,370 --> 00:26:24,130 true enemy is defeated and we can be free. 444 00:26:24,130 --> 00:26:24,690 Indeed. 445 00:26:25,250 --> 00:26:29,690 Help us not to abuse this by thinking that we can get away in 446 00:26:29,690 --> 00:26:30,290 our sin. 447 00:26:30,690 --> 00:26:33,890 We can't get away with will always catch us. 448 00:26:33,890 --> 00:26:37,170 Because sin has consequences either here or in eternity. 449 00:26:37,790 --> 00:26:40,110 And not just for us, but for those around us. 450 00:26:40,910 --> 00:26:44,790 So, Father, help us to be sincere in our faith in Jesus, to 451 00:26:44,790 --> 00:26:48,510 live for him each day, to stay away from the things that are bad, 452 00:26:49,310 --> 00:26:54,390 that are evil, that don't influence us well, and rather looking 453 00:26:54,390 --> 00:26:59,270 to Jesus, filling our hearts and minds with who he is, so that 454 00:26:59,270 --> 00:27:02,670 as we know the forgiveness of our sins and life eternal, we will 455 00:27:02,670 --> 00:27:06,500 know his presence with us with each step that we take in this life. 456 00:27:06,980 --> 00:27:09,940 So, Father, may we respond well to your word this day. 457 00:27:10,100 --> 00:27:12,340 In Jesus name, amen.