Sermon
Psalm 84
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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C.S. Lewis said, if I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.
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!
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O God, you made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.
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I think those two quotes by C.S. Lewis and Augustine capture the affectional pulse beat of the Christian life.
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Longing for another world, longing for God.
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And different parts of the Bible bring out this in a vivid and intense way.
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The pulse beat for heaven, the pulse beat for God is always there in the Bible.
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But in some parts it's more pronounced than in others.
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It's a bit like our own pulse beat.
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It's always there.
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But in some moments in our lives it's more pronounced.
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Like after you've exerted yourself you can feel the blood pumping through your veins.
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Well, certain parts of the Bible are like that.
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They bring out the human longing for another world, for God, in a vivid and intense way.
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Just think of the Genesis account of the patriarchs.
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They all lived in tents.
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Abraham is called to leave his home and go to a country not his own.
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God's promised land in Canaan.
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And when he gets there, what do we find him doing?
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Living in a tent.
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And he never changes his abode.
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Till the day he died, Abraham lived in a tent.
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Same with Isaac and Jacob.
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They both lived in tents.
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Here was this land of Edenic-like paradise.
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And none of the patriarchs ever put a spade into the ground.
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None of them ever built foundations.
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They only ever pitched a tent.
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The book of Hebrews chapter 11 captures it well.
Hebrews 11 chapter mention
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By faith Abraham went to live in the land of promise.
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As in a foreign land.
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Living in tents.
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With Isaac and Jacob.
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Heirs with him of the same promise.
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For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations.
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Whose designer and builder is God.
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Do you see how the writer shows the patriarchs faith in action?
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They lived in tents.
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Why?
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Because they saw themselves as strangers.
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As pilgrims on the earth.
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And why did they view themselves like this?
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Because they were looking for another city.
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Whose maker and builder was God.
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They lived loosely to this world.
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And to this life.
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Just think of when Sarah dies.
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And Abraham has to purchase a bit of land from the Hittites.
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For her grave.
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What does he say?
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I am a sojourner.
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And a stranger among you.
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So can I please buy a bit of land.
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To bury my wife.
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How long had he been living in the land?
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62 years.
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I am a sojourner.
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Among you.
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Residents in Canaan didn't buy burial plots.
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Because the land was theirs.
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Only strangers or pilgrims.
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Only strangers or pilgrims bought burial grounds.
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62 years.
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I am a sojourner.
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Among you.
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Jacob speaks the same way when he arrives in Egypt.
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Pharaoh asks him his age.
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And he replies.
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The days of the years of my sojourning.
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Are a hundred and thirty.
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Few and evil have been the days.
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Of the years of my life.
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And they have not attained.
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To the days of the years of the life of my fathers.
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In the days of their sojourning.
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For Jacob.
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His life.
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And that of his fathers.
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Isaac and Abraham.
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Was one long sojourn.
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One long pilgrimage.
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They were pilgrims.
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In this world.
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They could have sung with Jim Reeves.
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This world is not my home.
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I'm just a passing through.
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They were homesick for heaven.
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They were homesick for God.
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They had desires in them.
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That nothing in this world could satisfy.
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They were restless.
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For God.
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The period of the patriarchs.
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Living in tents.
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Is one of those parts.
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Of the Bible.
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Where the affectional.
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Pulse beat for heaven.
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Is pounding away.
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Is pumping strong.
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In an intense.
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Vivid way.
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In the New Testament.
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That pulse beat for heaven.
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Is seen in our Lord's life.
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He was called.
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The son of man.
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Born of Mary.
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But he was.
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He never forgot.
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He was a son of heaven.
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During his earthly life.
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He had no home.
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He didn't even have a tent.
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Foxes have holes.
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Birds of the air have nests.
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But the son of man.
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Has nowhere.
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To lay his head.
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Why?
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Because he was a son of heaven.
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And this world.
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Was not his home.
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He was just a passing through.
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But for the joy.
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Set before him.
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He endured the cross.
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And what was the joy.
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To sit.
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At his father's right hand.
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To be home.
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In heaven.
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With his father.
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The life of our Lord.
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Is one of those parts.
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In the Bible.
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Where the affectional.
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Pulse beat for heaven.
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For God.
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Is pounding away.
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Pumping away.
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In this strong.
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Vivid.
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Intense way.
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The lives of the patriarchs.
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The lives.
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Of our Lord.
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They give us this.
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Affectional.
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Pulse beat for heaven.
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For God.
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They show us.
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That this world.
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Is not our home.
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That we're just passing through.
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But there's a third.
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Picture.
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In the Bible.
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That captures.
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This vivid.
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Intense.
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Desire.
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For another world.
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For God himself.
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And that is.
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The annual pilgrimages.
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To Jerusalem.
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After Israel.
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Settled in the land.
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And built homes.
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Which God said.
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Was fine for them to do.
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They still had.
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Regular reminders.
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That Canaan.
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Was not really.
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Their true home.
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That there was.
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Somewhere.
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Beyond.
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Canaan.
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Something better.
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Than Canaan.
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Every year.
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There were various.
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Festivals.
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That were held.
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In Jerusalem.
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The feast.
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Of Passover.
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The feast.
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Of Pentecost.
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Both around Easter.
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And the feast.
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Of Tabernacles.
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In the autumn.
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Harvest time.
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And in each case.
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The Israelites.
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Would leave.
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Their homes.
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And they would travel.
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Up to Jerusalem.
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Up to the temple.
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To make sacrifices.
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To pay their tithes.
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And to meet.
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With God.
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And the journey.
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Was known.
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As a pilgrimage.
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A pilgrimage.
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To God.
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In his temple.
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Temple.
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And Psalm 84.
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Is set.
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In that context.
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It's the.
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Context.
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Of a pilgrimage.
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And as such.
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It is another moment.
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In the Bible.
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Where the.
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Affectional.
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Pulse beat.
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For heaven.
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For God.
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Is pounding.
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Away.
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Because this.
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Psalm.
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Strips back.
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All the pomp.
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And ceremony.
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Of the feasts.
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At the temple.
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All the fuss.
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And fancy.
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Of the festivals.
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At the temple.
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And it reveals.
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To us.
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A heart.
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Longing.
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For heaven.
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Longing.
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For God.
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If this.
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Psalm.
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Does anything.
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This evening.
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It shows us.
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That this world.
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Is not our home.
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We're just.
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A passing through.
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This.
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Psalm.
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Orientates us.
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Beyond this world.
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Shows us.
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Where our desires.
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Ought.
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To be directed.
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It.
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Now before we come.
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To the psalm.
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Let me.
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Put in.
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One.
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Qualification.
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And it's an important one.
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By this world.
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When I say.
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This world.
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Is not our home.
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I don't mean.
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Earth.
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Below.
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Is not our home.
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But heaven above.
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That would be.
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Platonism.
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Dividing the physical.
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And the spiritual.
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As if.
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The spiritual.
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Up there.
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Is more important.
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Than the physical.
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Down here.
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No.
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Jesus rose.
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From the dead.
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Physically.
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On this earth.
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The meek.
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Shall inherit.
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The earth.
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Now when I.
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Speak of this world.
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What I mean is.
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This age.
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Of this heaven.
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And this earth.
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Is not our home.
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Our home.
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Is the new age.
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Of the new heavens.
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And the new earth.
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So that's an important.
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Qualification.
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But with that.
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Qualification.
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In mind.
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Let me show you.
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Three ways.
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In which this.
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Psalmist.
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Reveals to us.
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A heart.
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That is pulsing.
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For heaven.
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For God.
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First.
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A longing.
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For God.
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Is what we see.
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In verses one.
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To four.
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A longing.
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For God.
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As I read.
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These verses.
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Keep in mind.
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That God's temple.
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In Jerusalem.
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Was a picture.
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Of heaven.
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Where God lives.
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And you'll see.
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How this psalm.
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Reveals a longing.
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For heaven.
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And for God.
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How lovely.
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Is your dwelling place.
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O Lord of hosts.
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My soul longs.
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Yes.
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Faints.
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For the courts.
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Of the Lord.
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My heart.
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And flesh.
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Sing for joy.
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To the living God.
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The word lovely.
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In verse one.
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Does not mean.
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That God's dwelling place.
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Is lovely looking.
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I'm sure it was.
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But if that's what the psalmist.
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Meant.
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It's a bit strange.
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That he doesn't go on.
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To describe.
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What God's temple.
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Looks like.
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There are no descriptions.
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Of it.
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In this psalm.
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Rather the word lovely.
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Means something like.
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Lovable.
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How lovable.
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Is your dwelling place.
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How I love.
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Your dwelling place.
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Is really what the psalmist means.
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And his life for God's dwelling place.
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Is seen in his intense longing.
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For it.
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In verse two.
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My soul longs.
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Yes.
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Faints.
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For the courts of the Lord.
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My heart and flesh.
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Sing for joy.
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To the living God.
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Two opposite.
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Descriptions.
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Of his intense.
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Longing.
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There is his.
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Fainting.
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The blood.
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Rushes.
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From his body.
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And a kind of.
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Craving.
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For the place.
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Like when you're so.
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Ravenous.
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For food.
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You can't.
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Think of anything else.
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But food.
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That's the first way.
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He describes this longing.
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But then he gives it.
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An opposite expression.
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His heart.
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And his flesh.
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His whole person.
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Sing.
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For joy.
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Now the blood.
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Rushes back.
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If you like.
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Because you can't sing.
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If you're feeling faint.
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Right.
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So he's.
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Fainting.
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For this place.
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And he's.
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Singing.
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For it.
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And those two.
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Opposite.
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Physical.
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Experiences.
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Of craving.
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And singing.
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Capture the intensity.
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Of his longing.
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For God's.
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Dwelling place.
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How much does he love it?
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He faints.
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For it.
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He sings.
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For it.
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God and his temple.
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Are his one.
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Consuming.
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Passion.
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So much so.
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That he expresses.
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Envy.
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At those.
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Who get to live there.
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Permanently.
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Verse 3 and 4.
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He's envious of the sparrow.
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Who gets to find a home.
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In the arches of the roof.
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He's envious of the swallow.
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Who makes a nest.
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In the eaves of the temple.
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She gets to have her young.
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Just by his altars.
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The birds have free access.
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To God's home.
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It's like when you visit a farm.
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And you see the sparrow.
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Those and the swallows.
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Just flying in and out of the barns.
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Freely.
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Without restriction.
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Whenever they want.
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They come and go as they please.
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They make their home there.
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But this psalmist can't.
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He can't make his home in the temple.
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He makes a pilgrimage to God's temple.
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And then he has to leave.
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For months on end.
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Which brings him to the other group of people.
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That he's.
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Or the other group that he's envious of.
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He's envious of the sparrows.
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And the swallows.
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But he's envious of those who live in the temple.
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The priests.
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The Levites.
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The gatekeepers.
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He's envious of them.
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Because they get to live in God's house.
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And sing his praises continually.
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Verse 4.
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Blessed are those.
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Who dwell in your house.
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Ever singing your praise.
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It's a good envy.
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Not a bad envy.
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Because he calls them blessed.
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The blessed life.
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Is the life lived.
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In the courts of God.
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Ever singing his praises.
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I've been reflecting on this recently.
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For obvious reasons.
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Our daughter Leila died.
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Seven months ago.
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When our loved ones in Christ.
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Depart from us.
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We so often wish.
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That they would come back to us.
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Even just for a day.
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But think about what we'd be asking of them.
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We'd be asking of them.
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To leave the courts.
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Of the Lord of hosts.
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To leave their home in heaven.
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Where they get to praise God continually.
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Why would we ever want them.
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To have to leave that.
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This psalmist doesn't want the sparrows.
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Or swallows confiscated.
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He doesn't want them to come and live with him.
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In his home.
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In the countryside.
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He wants to go and live.
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Where they live.
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The psalmist doesn't want the priests.
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And the Levites.
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And the gatekeepers.
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To have to leave the temple.
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And go and visit him.
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In the countryside.
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No.
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He wants to go and live.
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Where they live.
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He longs for God's dwelling place.
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For heaven.
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Because blessed are those.
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Who dwell in your house.
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Ever singing your praise.
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Samuel Rutherford.
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Rutherford.
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Once wrote to a mother.
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Who lost her child.
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And said.
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Today the Lord has cut off.
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One of your branches.
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So that you might grow higher.
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And closer.
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Towards heaven.
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Life is not about those.
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Who have gone before us.
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Coming back to us.
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It's about us.
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Going to them.
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Because blessed are those.
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Who dwell in God's house.
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Ever singing his praises.
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Cancer.
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Or old age.
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Or some terrible news.
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Or death.
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Is a great recalibration.
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For our desires.
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These things.
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Come into our lives.
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And they make us.
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Long.
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For heaven.
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That's what this psalm.
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Does for us.
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It recalibrates.
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Our longing for heaven.
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But not just for heaven.
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Did you notice that?
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My soul longs.
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Yes.
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Faints.
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For the courts of the Lord.
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My heart and flesh.
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Sing for joy.
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To the living God.
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C.S. Lewis once said.
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Heaven is Oxford.
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Lifted up and placed.
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In the middle of County Down.
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Northern Ireland.
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C.S. Lewis was a genius.
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He got the right county.
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But like all geniuses.
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He had a blind spot.
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He got the wrong university.
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But notice what he was saying.
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Heaven is not just a beautiful place.
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Like County Down.
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Northern Ireland.
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For Lewis.
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Heaven is a beautiful place.
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Because it is an inhabited place.
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When he spoke about Oxford.
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Being lifted up and placed.
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In County Down.
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He was speaking of Oxford.
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The university city.
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With its students.
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And professors.
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And town folk.
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And libraries.
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And culture.
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Lewis was saying that heaven.
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Is about the people.
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As well as the place.
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And that's what this psalmist.
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Shows us.
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Heaven is only heaven.
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Because of who lives there.
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Heaven is about the person.
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Not just the place.
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That's why this psalmist.
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Finds heaven so lovable.
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Why?
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Because of who lives there.
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The Lord of hosts.
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The living God.
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His King.
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And his God.
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The God of Jacob.
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Did you notice how dominant.
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The references to God are.
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In this psalm.
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Fourteen or fifteen times.
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He refers to God.
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With different titles.
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That's more than one reference.
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Per verse.
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Only six references.
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To God's dwelling place.
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This psalmist.
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Is not longing for heaven.
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So much.
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As he is longing.
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For the God of heaven.
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He's longing for a person.
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Not a place.
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Because it's God.
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Who makes heaven.
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Heaven.
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Heaven is only heaven.
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Because God lives there.
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Martin Lloyd-Jones.
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When he was dying of cancer.
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Was asked.
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Doctor.
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Shall we pray for you.
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To be healed.
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And he replied.
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Don't hold me back.
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From the glory.
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What was glorious.
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For Martin Lloyd-Jones.
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Seeing God.
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Seeing God.
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Why would you hold someone back.
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From seeing God.
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That's the first thing that this psalm shows us.
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A longing for God.
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Second.
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A journeying to God.
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A journeying to God.
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Verses five to eight.
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Blessed are those.
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Blessed are those.
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Whose strength is in you.
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In whose heart are the highways.
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To Zion.
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As they go through the valley of Baca.
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They make it a place of springs.
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The early rain also covers it with pools.
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They go from strength to strength.
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Each one appears before God.
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In Zion.
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The last stanza.
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Verses one to four.
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Ended with a statement.
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Of who is blessed.
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Those who are.
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Who live permanently.
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In God's house.
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Ever singing his praises.
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And this stanza.
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Begins.
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With a statement.
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Of who is blessed.
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Verse five.
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Those whose strength.
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Is in God.
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Those who have.
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Pilgrimage.
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In their heart.
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That's what highways.
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Refer to here.
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I think it's the NIV.
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The 1984 NIV.
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That has that beautiful.
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Saying.
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A beautiful line.
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In whose heart.
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Are the pilgrimages.
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To Zion.
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So blessing here.
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Is not just restricted.
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To those.
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Who live permanently.
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In God's temple.
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Those who don't yet live.
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There.
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Can still be blessed.
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If they find their strength.
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In God.
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And have pilgrimages.
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Fixed.
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In their heart.
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In other words.
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Blessed are those.
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Who are in heaven already.
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And blessed are those.
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Who have the journey.
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To heaven.
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Fixed.
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In their hearts.
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Now.
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Blessed are those.
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Who live.
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Like the patriarchs.
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Blessed are those.
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Who live.
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Like our Lord.
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Jesus Christ.
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Who live loosely.
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To this world.
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And longingly.
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For another world.
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Blessed are those.
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Who say.
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This world.
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Is not my home.
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I'm just a passing through.
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Because if we do live like that.
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Then when we.
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Then we can experience.
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Joy.
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Even in the midst.
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Of difficulties.
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And tears.
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Verse six.
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As they go through.
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The valley of Baca.
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They make it.
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A place of springs.
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The early rain.
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And also covers it.
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With pools.
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We're not exactly sure.
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Where this.
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Valley of Baca.
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Was.
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But scholars.
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Think Baca.
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It refers to.
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Balsam trees.
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Which.
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Were in the valley.
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Of Rephaim.
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Southwest.
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Of Jerusalem.
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It was the one.
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Pilgrim route.
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For those.
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In the south.
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That involved.
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Walking through.
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A valley.
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It was perhaps.
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The most difficult route.
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To Jerusalem.
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Because this valley.
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Would have been dry.
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In the autumn time.
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In the feast.
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Of tabernacles.
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And there was no.
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And there was danger.
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As well.
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Because it was.
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The closest route.
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To the Philistines.
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Israel's greatest enemy.
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But more than that.
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The word.
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Baca.
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Actually sounds like.
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The Hebrew word.
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For weeping.
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This is a valley.
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Of weeping.
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Some scholars.
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Suggest.
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Maybe the balsam trees.
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Wept their gum.
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And so there's a play.
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Here.
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As they go.
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Through the valley.
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Of Baca.
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Of weeping.
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They make it a place.
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Of springs.
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That's why Isaac Watts.
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And John Light's.
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Versions of.
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Psalm 84.
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Speak of the veil.
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V-A-L-E.
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The veil of tears.
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Yet the psalmist says.
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That those who go.
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Into this veil of tears.
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With their strength.
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Rooted in God.
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And pilgrimage.
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In their hearts.
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Can turn a dry place.
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Into a place.
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Of springs.
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In other words.
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They become a blessing.
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To those who journey.
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With them.
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I don't know if you've heard the saying.
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I'm sure you have.
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So.
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That those who are so heavenly minded.
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Are of no earthly use.
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You heard that saying.
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But I think it's a load of nonsense.
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I think those who are so heavenly minded.
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Are of great.
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Earthly use.
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Because they bring comfort to us.
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They point us.
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To heaven.
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In the midst of difficulties.
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Have you ever met someone like that?
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Whose life is so crippled.
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With different afflictions.
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In this life.
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That they point you.
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To heaven.
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They remind you.
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That this world.
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Is not our home.
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I have a friend.
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A young man.
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Who's.
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Had leukemia.
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He's now in.
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Remission.
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But his body.
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Is crippled.
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With the effects.
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Of the graft.
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Versus host.
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Disease.
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He takes a hundred.
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Tablets a day.
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His skin.
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Is broken.
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At this point.
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Never to be repaired.
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He's like a walking joke.
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When I meet with him.
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Or his parents.
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I always come away.
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Feeling refreshed.
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Because they have lifted.
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My eyes to heaven.
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At this point.
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In his life.
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There is no hope.
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For him to ever recover fully.
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His only hope.
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Is God.
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He has no strength in himself.
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But his strength in his God.
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And he.
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Longs.
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For heaven.
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He longs.
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For his resurrected body.
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His life.
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Has become a spring.
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To others.
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As they journey.
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Towards God.
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And that is where our lives.
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Are heading.
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Verse seven.
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They go.
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From strength.
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To strength.
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Each one appears.
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Before God.
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In Zion.
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You see that.
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Life.
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Is about journeying.
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Towards.
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God.
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That's what Jackie.
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And I have learned.
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With Layla's death.
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She got to go to God.
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Quickly.
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That's where we're all heading.
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It's interesting.
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In this second stanza.
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All mention of God's dwelling place.
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Is absent.
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You notice.
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All the talk of the temple.
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Now disappears.
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Now we're just focused.
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On God.
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On getting.
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To God.
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God.
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This is the destiny.
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Of our earthly pilgrimages.
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Not to a place.
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But to a person.
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To God.
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Which is what the psalmist.
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Prays for.
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In verse eight.
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O Lord of hosts.
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Hear my prayer.
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Give ear.
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O God of Jacob.
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What's his prayer?
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To get.
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To God.
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God.
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That he would appear.
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Before God.
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In Zion.
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That's the second thing.
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This psalmist shows us.
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A journeying.
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To God.
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He's shown us.
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A longing for God.
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A journeying to God.
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And third.
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A prayer.
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To reach God.
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A prayer.
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To reach God.
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Verses nine to twelve.
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Behold our shield.
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O God.
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Look on the face.
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Of your anointed.
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For a day.
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In your courts.
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Is better.
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Than a thousand.
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Elsewhere.
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I would rather.
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Be a doorkeeper.
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In the house of my God.
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Than dwell.
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In the tents.
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Of wickedness.
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For the Lord God.
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Is a sun.
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And shield.
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The Lord.
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Bestows.
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Favour.
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And honour.
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No good thing.
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Does he withhold.
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From those.
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Who walk.
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Uprightly.
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O Lord of hosts.
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Blessed is the one.
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Who trusts.
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In you.
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Now at first sight.
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Verse nine.
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Feels rather out of place.
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Doesn't it?
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Here we are.
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Talking about a.
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A longing for heaven.
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A longing for God.
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And all of a sudden.
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We're talking about a shield.
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And looking on the face.
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Of God's anointed.
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If you take out.
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Verse nine.
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Verse eight.
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Runs.
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Quite nicely.
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Into verse.
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Ten.
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O Lord.
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God of hosts.
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Hear my prayer.
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Give ear.
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O God of Jacob.
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For.
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A day in your courts.
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Is better than a thousand.
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Elsewhere.
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Do you see?
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So the question is.
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What's verse nine.
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What's verse nine doing here?
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Well.
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A shield.
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Is a metaphor.
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For God's king.
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Anointed.
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One.
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Is a title.
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For Israel's king.
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So here is a prayer.
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For God.
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To look with favor.
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Upon.
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His king.
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Now.
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Why is the psalmist.
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At this point.
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Praying.
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For God.
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To look with favor.
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Upon.
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His king.
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And what's that got to do.
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With getting to God.
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With getting.
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To God's place.
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Well.
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Quite a lot actually.
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Because the prosperity.
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Of God's people.
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And the protection.
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Of God's temple.
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In Zion.
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Was dependent.
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On the prosperity.
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Of God's king.
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If God's king.
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Was disobedient.
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Then God's curse.
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Fell.
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On king and people.
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And if God's curse.
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Fell on them.
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Then they became.
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Vulnerable.
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To surrounding nations.
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Just think ahead.
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To the exile.
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When Judah.
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Went into exile.
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It was because.
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Their kings.
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Fell into sin.
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And God.
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Brought down.
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His curse on them.
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And that curse.
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Resulted in the Babylonians.
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Coming to destroy.
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The temple.
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Which meant.
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That God's people.
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No longer had access.
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To God's house.
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They no longer.
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Had access.
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To God.
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Because of the failure.
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Of the king.
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And that's why.
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The psalmist.
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Pray.
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That God might.
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Behold.
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The king.
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And look with.
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Favour.
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On the face.
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Of his anointed king.
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Because he knows.
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That if the king.
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Doesn't prosper.
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Then there is no access.
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To the place.
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That he loves.
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If the king.
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Doesn't prosper.
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Then this psalmist.
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Has no access.
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To the God.
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He loves.
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We see that.
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In verse 10.
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And 11.
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Notice the two.
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Fours here.
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Behold our shield.
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O God.
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Look on the face.
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Of your anointed king.
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For.
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Because.
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A day in your courts.
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Is better than a thousand elsewhere.
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I would rather be a doorkeeper.
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In the house of my God.
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Than dwell in the tents.
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Of wickedness.
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For.
-
The Lord God.
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Is a sun and shield.
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The Lord bestows.
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Favour and honour.
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No good thing.
-
Does he withhold.
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From those.
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Who walk uprightly.
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See the logic.
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You want to get.
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To the courts.
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That are better.
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A day in the courts.
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That are better.
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Than a thousand elsewhere.
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You want to get.
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To the God.
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Who is a sun.
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And shield.
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Who is light.
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And life.
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And protection.
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You want to get.
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To that God.
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Then you need him.
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To look with favour.
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Upon.
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The king.
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Behold.
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Our shield.
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O God.
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Look on the face.
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Of your anointed.
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Because.
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We want to get.
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To you.
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We want you.
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God.
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And we can't have you.
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Unless you look with favour.
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On your king.
-
Verse 11.
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Shows us.
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That if.
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God does.
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Look with favour.
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Upon his king.
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Then we get.
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To God.
-
Who is a sun.
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And shield.
-
Who bestows.
-
Favour and honour.
-
No good thing.
-
Does he withhold.
-
From those.
-
Who walk.
-
Uprightly.
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The question is.
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What are these.
-
Good things.
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Or what is this.
-
Good thing.
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That he does not.
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Withhold.
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A spouse.
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Children.
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Many children.
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Job promotion.
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The right house.
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All your children.
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Married off.
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Grandchildren.
-
All of those things.
-
Are good things.
-
But I don't think.
-
That's what's being.
-
Promised here.
-
The answer.
-
I think.
-
Is fine.
-
In verse.
-
10 and 11.
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For the Lord.
-
Is a sun and shield.
-
The good thing.
-
Is being with God.
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In his courts.
-
Verse 10.
-
The good thing.
-
That God does not withhold.
-
Is himself.
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God does not withhold.
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Himself.
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From us.
-
John Piper wrote a book.
-
God is the gospel.
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God is the gospel.
-
God is the good news.
-
God gives you.
-
Himself.
-
In the gospel.
-
The good news of the gospel.
-
Is not that you get benefits.
-
You do get benefits.
-
The good news of the gospel.
-
Is that you get the benefactor.
-
And when you get him.
-
Then you get all the benefits.
-
But you can't have grace.
-
And glory.
-
And good things.
-
Without the God of such things.
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Grace.
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Glory.
-
And good things.
-
Don't actually exist.
-
Without God.
-
God is the gospel.
-
But we can only receive those things.
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Reach those things.
-
Receive God.
-
And those things.
-
If he looks with favor.
-
On the appeals.
-
Of his anointed king.
-
Which means.
-
That for us Christians.
-
We ask him.
-
To look with favor.
-
On King Jesus.
-
He is the anointed king.
-
Who makes appeals.
-
To God.
-
On our behalf.
-
That's why.
-
When we pray.
-
For the sake of your son.
-
Or in Jesus name.
-
What we're praying.
-
Is that God.
-
Would look with favor.
-
On Christ.
-
So that we might.
-
Might receive heaven.
-
And the God of heaven.
-
I started tonight.
-
With two quotes.
-
C.S. Lewis.
-
C.S. Lewis.
-
If I find in myself.
-
Desires.
-
Which nothing in this world.
-
Can satisfy.
-
The only logical explanation.
-
Is that I was made.
-
For another world.
-
And Augustine.
-
Oh God.
-
You've made us for yourself.
-
And our hearts are restless.
-
Until they find.
-
Their rest in you.
-
And I want to finish.
-
With a third quote.
-
It's by John Calvin.
-
He said.
-
The Psalms.
-
Are a mirror.
-
To our souls.
-
The Psalms.
-
Are a mirror.
-
To our souls.
-
What does a mirror do?
-
It reflects.
-
Whatever you put in front of it.
-
And when you put this Psalm.
-
Up against yourself.
-
Let me ask you.
-
What does it reflect?
-
If it is a mirror.
-
What is your soul.
-
Reflecting?
-
Well.
-
By God's grace.
-
May this Psalm.
-
Be.
-
A recalibrator.
-
May it show us.
-
That the desires.
-
Of our hearts.
-
Ought to be for heaven.
-
Ought to be.
-
For the God of heaven.
-
Because one thing.
-
Is for sure.
-
If we don't fix.
-
Our desires.
-
On God.
-
Then we will live our lives.
-
As restless people.
-
We were made.
-
For another world.
-
We were made.
-
For God.
-
My soul longs.
-
Yes.
-
Faints.
-
For the courts of the Lord.
-
My heart.
-
And my flesh.
-
Sing for joy.
-
To the living God.
-
May God's spirit.
-
Give us the grace.
-
To sing love.
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To sing love.
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This evening.
-
Amen.