Worship

So we welcome you all in the Lord's name and we welcome those who are online as well.

We pray that our time would be blessed together.

So may we lift our voices and sing to God's praise by singing in Psalm 92a of the Sing

Psalms version.

We'll find that on page 122 of the Blue Books.

Psalm 92a, we'll sing from the beginning of that psalm.

So we'll sing down to verse Mark 4 and then we'll jump down to verse Mark 12 to the end

of the psalm and sing them last two stanzas.

I'll read these words.

How good it is to praise the Lord, to sing a joyful song, and to your name, O God most

high, make music all day long, to show your love when morning comes, your faithfulness

at night, with music of stringed instruments, your praises to recite.

For by your mighty deeds, O Lord, you make my spirit glad.

I sing for joy when I survey the works your hands have made.

And then at verse 12.

So in old age, they still bear fruit.

They will stay fresh and strong.

They will proclaim the Lord is just, my rock who does no wrong.

A psalm of thanks and praise to God, thanking Him for the time of Sabbath worship as they

come to worship.

And a reminder there in the last two verses of the everlasting worship that will continue

in glory.

So we'll stand together and sing these verses.

How good it is to praise the Lord.

How good it is to praise the Lord, to sing a joyful song.

And to your name, O God most high, make music all day long.

To show your love when morning comes, your faithfulness at night.

With music all singed instruments, your praises to recite.

For by your mighty deeds, O Lord, you make my spirit glad.

I sing for joy when I survey the works your hands have made.

Like palms and cedars flourishing, the righteous all will be.

And planted in the house of God will grow upon thee.

So in all days they still bear fruit.

They will stay fresh and strong.

They will proclaim the Lord is just.

My God who does no wrong.

Okay, we'll say a short prayer now for the young ones that are with us.

Let us pray together.

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for this time that we have to come to church.

We thank you that we can sing and lift our hearts and voice.

And praise you and thank you for all that you have done for us.

We thank you, God, for the homes that you have provided for us.

The families that you give to us.

And the friends that are around us.

We thank you, Lord, for Sunday school.

We thank you for all our teachers.

And we pray that we would learn about you and learn about your son, Jesus Christ, as we go to our own classes.

Lord, we pray that we would be like those that are planted within the house of God.

And that though we are young.

And Lord, we pray for the young.

And we remember the young.

We pray also that you would remain with them as they grow.

But that they would grow strong.

And grow in you.

We pray, Lord, that they would trust in you.

All the days of their lives.

And even in the uncertainties and difficult things of life.

And the questions that they have about life.

We pray, Lord.

That we would remember them.

And that they would remember you.

So be with us in our classes as we go there and shortly.

Be with our teachers as they lead.

We pray for them as well.

And we pray that you would be with us.

And be with all our friends as we gather together.

Help us to have fun.

In Jesus' name we ask these things.

Amen.

Okay, boys and girls.

I'm just going to say a short word to you before you go off to your Sunday school classes.

You might remember last week, of those who were here,

I said that you were doing a lesson about people and the disciples and the friends of Jesus

that were glad to speak about all the things that Jesus had done.

But today, I believe, you're going to learn about someone who was glad to do anything for Jesus.

I think you're going to learn about a man called Stephen today.

He was not afraid to do anything for God.

And to be obedient to God, even when other people were saying not to tell people about Jesus.

He still went and told them.

And I want to tell you a little story about a man called Hudson Taylor.

I think it's James Hudson Taylor he was called.

And he was a man who did a lot for God.

He was a man who felt that God told him to go to China.

So he did.

And he spent 51 years in China.

He was a man that did a lot there.

And he loved the people, the Chinese people.

And he lived just like the Chinese people did.

And he was thankful to God for guiding him.

And that's why he did so much.

And that's why Stephen did so much.

And that's why all of us who are Christians do so much.

We're thankful for the heart that God has given us and all that he has done for us.

Hudson Taylor, when he was in China, made this organization called the China Inland Mission.

And do you know what he did?

He managed to recruit 800 missionaries.

And missionaries are people that go and tell people about Jesus.

So there's 800 people just like him that went to tell people about Jesus all over China.

And these 800 people managed to make 125 schools.

And it is believed that this organization worked to the effect of converting 18,000 people to Christianity.

James Hudson Taylor did a lot for God.

And he said that all God's giants, the people who trust in God, he called them giants.

And he said all God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they believed that God would be with them.

And that's the same for everyone who believes in Jesus.

They do things.

And maybe sometimes they do strange things.

And they do things that we don't understand.

Because they believe that God is with them in everything.

We do because God has done for us.

And we value everything God has done for us.

Even it might be beyond our own lives.

We can do anything through God who gives us strength.

Amen.

Let us say the Lord's Prayer together.

Our Father which art in heaven.

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Amen.

We'll continue in praise to God by singing in Psalm 96a of the Sing Psalms version.

You'll find that on page 126 of the Blue Book.

Sing Psalms version of 96a.

From the beginning we'll sing down to verse 10.

Oh sing a new song to the Lord.

Sing praises to his name.

And his salvation day by day.

Let all the earth proclaim.

Sing down to verse 10.

Tell every land the Lord is king.

Established is the earth and cannot move.

The Lord will judge the people in his truth.

Today in our consideration as we move on to the next step of Psalm 40.

We'll look at how David worships God.

So our singings today are ones that really draw us in praise and worship to God.

So let us stand and sing.

Oh sing a new song to the Lord.

Amen.

O sing a new song to the Lord.

Sing praises to his name.

And his salvation day by day.

Let all the earth proclaim.

His glory as his mighty deeds.

To every land declare.

How great and awesome is the Lord.

For other gods are rude and soul.

The Lord made heaven's might.

All power and majesty are his.

He dwells in glorious light.

All nations to the Lord.

All nations to the Lord.

The glory of God.

He has said.

He has said.

Ascribe to God.

And praise his name.

Amen.

Enter his.

His words with joy and ring, and offering with you.

Worship the Lord in holy fear, all earth before Him bound.

Tell every land the Lord is King, established its Seer.

And can all good, the Lord will chant, the people say His truth.

We turn now to God's Word, and if we could turn to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

And then we'll turn after a short reading in Ephesians to Psalm 40.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3, and we'll read from verse Mark 14.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

That short passage at the end of the chapter.

Let us hear God's Word.

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that according to the riches of His glory,

He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,

that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may have strength to comprehend with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly

than all that we can ask or think,

according to the power at work within us,

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations,

forever and ever.

Amen.

We turn with me now to

the book of Psalms and Psalm 40.

Our focus today will be from verse Mark 6 down to verse Mark 10,

but I think we'll read from the beginning of Psalm 40,

and we'll read down to the end of verse Mark 10.

I waited patiently for the Lord.

He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction

out of the miry bog

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,

who does not turn to the proud

or to those who go astray after a lie.

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds and thoughts towards us.

None can compare with you.

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told.

Sacrifice and offering you have not desired,

but you have given me an open ear.

Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

Then I said,

Behold, I have come.

In the scroll of the book,

it is written of me.

I desire to do your will, O my God.

Your law is within my heart.

I have told the glad news of deliverance

in the great congregation.

Behold, I have not restrained my lips,

as you know, O Lord.

I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart.

I have spoken of your faithfulness

and your salvation.

I have not concealed your steadfast love

and your faithfulness

from the great congregation.

Amen.

May the reading of God's word be blessed to us.

May we turn to God in prayer.

Let us pray.

Amen.

Our Father in heaven,

we pray that you would give us peace of mind

and rest as we come into your house

and as we come before you, O God.

Give us a clear sight of who you are

and reveal to us yourself to us

through your word.

Lord, may you be great to us.

May we understand what is the width,

the height, the depth and breadth of you

and your love towards us.

And Lord, when we come before you,

we acknowledge our weakness.

We acknowledge that we have sinned

and that we have a heart that is desire

originally to incline itself towards sin.

Lord, we pray that you would be one to renew our hearts

and to change us and to transform us.

That you would put within us

a heart that would desire to come and worship you

and to glorify your name

and sing praises to you.

Lord, we ask that you would be with us

as we consider your word

and as we draw from it,

may it be rich to us.

May it be encouraging to us

and restoring our spirit, Lord.

Lord, there are many

who are crying out to you.

There are many who are crying out

from the depths of their heart

because they do not know where to go

or who to turn to.

So Lord, we pray

that you would reveal yourself to them too.

Lord, reveal to the one who calls out to you.

Reveal yourself to the one

who does not know who to call to you.

Lord, let us not be ashamed

to declare of what you have done for us

and the righteousness that you have placed within us

through Christ Jesus

and the riches of his mercy.

Lord, help us to understand them and grasp them

that we may be people that would be

equipped and prepared to proclaim

what you have done for us.

That people who do not know where to turn to

would hear of the salvation

we have found in Jesus Christ

and say of themselves that they need that too.

Lord, give us a heart for souls that are lost,

souls that are unconverted,

souls that lay in the pit of destruction.

Lord, we pray for them

and we pray that the outreaching of your hand

may touch them

by whatever means, Lord, may it be.

We pray for the efforts that are made

in your church,

in all denominations.

Lord, we pray for the efforts

that are made to proclaim your gospel this day.

We pray your spirit be upon.

We pray your spirit to bless it.

Lord, we pray that you would be with us

as we gather.

Give us minds to focus our attention to you.

Hearts that long to know you.

Hearts that long to feel

the riches of your grace

and the provision and security

that you afford to us

through Christ Jesus.

Lord, wash us in his blood.

Lord, we pray for the spread of the gospel

through our nation.

We pray that it would go out

and reach the ends of the world.

Lord, we thank you for the provision

made in offering these services online.

And maybe it is by these means

that you will reach the ends of the world.

We do not know.

But Lord, the gospel,

we pray the gospel

to be faithfully proclaimed

by your men

and within our own hearts, O Lord,

as we go out into the world.

Amen.

Situations.

We pray

that we would have effect

not of any strength of ourselves,

for we often see our weaknesses

and we are full of fear

to speak about you.

But Lord,

may we be great in your eyes

and may we do great things

in your eyes

as we rely on you

and as we reckon

and trust

like Hudson Taylor

that you would be one

that would go with us.

Lord, give us thanks

for your provision.

Lord, we pray for our people.

We pray for each of us here.

We pray that you would meet us

at our needs

and there are great needs amongst us.

We pray for those

who have concerns over health.

We pray for those

who have concerns for others.

We pray for those who more.

We pray that you would be with them

and comfort them.

Lord,

be with us.

May your word

become alive to us.

May it be a place

of warmth to us

where we desire

to come back to.

A place of instruction.

A place

Lord,

where we see you

and we see ourselves.

So be with us, we ask

as we turn to it now.

Prepare our hearts.

Be with those

who worship

in the Gaelic as well.

We pray that you would be with them

and that your spirit

would equally be upon us

and enrich our souls.

all these things we ask

in the name

of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

We'll continue in praise

and sing in the Scottish Psalter

version,

Psalm 100.

Scottish Psalter,

Psalm 100

on page 362.

Words that are familiar

to us,

but words

that turn

ourselves

to thank God

with cheerful voice

for all that he has done

for us.

to praise him

and to invite others

to know

of this

great God.

All people

that on earth

do dwell.

Sing to the Lord

with cheerful voice,

himself with mirth,

his praise forth tell,

come ye before him

and rejoice.

We'll stand

and we'll sing

to God's praise

all people

that on earth

do dwell.

Amen.

All people

that on earth

do dwell.

Sing to the Lord

with cheerful voice,

himself with birth

his praise

foretell,

love me

before him

and rejoice.

Rejoice.

Know that the Lord

is on him

singly to the Lord

of his

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always.

For it is

simply so to

do.

For by the Lord

our God is good,

His mercy is

forever sure,

which to that

all times were he

stood, and

shall from age to

age change

I'd like to turn our minds now

to Psalm 40.

And those who were here last week,

we looked at the first verses up to

verse 5.

And we call that the waiting upon God, and we saw

how the psalmist there

trusted in God

from where the situation that he was in

as he lay in the pit of destruction

and the mire that he was in.

But God did not leave him there.

God was one that rescued him from that place,

and God was one that worked a transformation in his life.

And we saw that transformation there in verse 3,

with the new song that had been put within him.

And then from verses 4 and 5,

we saw that the psalmist then had a testimony in God,

for what he had done for him,

saying that with none can compare with you.

God is incompatible and great.

And God is one that is worthy to be trust.

And he said the man who puts his trust in the Lord

will be blessed.

So now we turn to our step 2, in a sense,

from verse Mark 6 down to verse Mark 10.

And we will call this next section

the worship of God.

And you can see there is actually a shift in the psalm

from where in the first part we saw that

it was God who made approach to David,

or the psalmist.

But now as we look at this next passage

from verse Mark 6,

we'll see that the psalmist now draws near to God.

This is his worship,

to draw near to God,

to approach God.

And this is our heart as we come here.

This is David's heart to draw near to God.

This is our worship,

to draw near to God as we gather,

whether it be online or in person.

We pray that our hearts would be directed towards God.

And other worldly distractions will be set aside

for this time, if at all possible,

that we may lift our voices in praise and thanks

to the one who rightly deserves all honour and glory.

But as we come,

we must be mindful that we do it in the right manner.

God specified in the days of old

how they were to approach God

with sacrifices and offering.

This is what God required.

And so we, as we approach him today,

must be mindful that worship

is not something of our own imaginations.

It is not something that we

choose to do of ourselves.

It is something that God has asked of us.

Who knows where we'd end up

if we did what we wanted.

But really what worship comes down to

is that it is a natural response or desire

to approach this God.

And to approach this God

who reverently asks us to.

There's a dutiful response, in a sense,

to coming to worship God.

We can say that worship

is not just dutiful, though.

Because, in a sense,

our hearts are aligned

to what God requires.

Our hearts seek to lift up

the name of God.

Seek to come and praise him

as God has asked us to.

That work within us,

that transformation,

aligns us to God.

So much so,

that when we come,

in that sense,

we find that we have delight

in worshipping God.

It is a delight for the Christian

to come and draw near to God.

And such is the delight

that they know

that they cannot but declare

the riches of his glory

and what God has done for them.

As we sing

and gather together

under his word.

You see, this is our worship.

To be dutiful

to God's direction in it.

We have a duty.

And with the renewed heart

that God has put in us,

we find delight.

But we are people

who cannot keep these things silent.

We desire to declare

and tell people

what God has done for us.

So in our worship,

there is a duty,

there is a delight,

and there is a declaration made.

Even as we come here today,

we make a declaration to the world

that I am coming

to worship God.

So let us take our first point there.

Duty.

And you know,

we don't really like to

describe our worship as duty.

It's not solely duty, though.

It's not a box-ticking exercise

that we do.

It's a loving duty.

It's a loving duty

of that aligned heart

that comes to God.

But it is God

that we come to.

It is God

that is above us.

And we are the ones

dutiful to him.

This is what the writer

in Ephesians wrote.

For this reason,

I bow my knees

before the Father

from whom every family

in heaven and earth

is named.

You see the greatness

of who his God is.

Every family on heaven and earth

is named on the outset.

And our understanding of God

is crucial to our worship.

It will proportionally affect

our worship, in fact.

If God is nothing to you,

there will be no worship.

If God is little to you,

there will be little worship.

You may think God

has been the almighty creator.

He's the one who sustains us

in our days.

We may give him reasonable worship

because we can reasonably

understand him,

in a sense.

But if God

is your God,

and if God

is the God

of your heart,

your soul,

your mind,

and your strength,

then we have an intimate

worship with God.

And we have a heart

to worship him.

But God

is not

who we

think he is.

God is truth

regardless

of how we worship him.

God

is almighty

and over all things.

And we must come

to worship him

in a sense

with a fear

and reverence

before the almighty

creator.

Let us read

in verse 6

of Psalm 40.

Sacrifice and offering

you have not desired,

but you have given me

an open ear.

Burnt offering

and sin offering

you have not required.

Now you see

David

in his worship.

He realizes that

well,

sacrifice and offering

you have not desired.

And this is an

interesting insight

for this day.

Because this was

a day when

sacrifice and offering

would have been

required.

So he's saying

now sacrifice

and offering,

God does not

desire these things.

God

does not

require these things.

which raises

a question.

Why did God

ask for them?

Why did God

ask us to approach

him with these

offerings?

But really

what's coming

through there

is that David

is identifying

that, you know,

the sacrifice

in and of itself

wasn't everything.

The sacrifice

wasn't

the thing

that would

restore

a relationship

to God.

all of itself.

I'll just

give you an

illustration

to make

this clearer.

You know,

you may

have worked

in a job

or you may

have heard

one of your

colleagues say

in their

employment

that, you know,

my heart

wasn't in it.

And

that really

means that,

well,

they're not

really enjoying

their work.

Their heart

isn't in it.

And they may

seek another

employment.

But if you

were to watch

two people

who were to

fulfil the

same task,

one with the

heart to do

the work

and one

without the

heart to do

it,

you may

watch them

and you

would see

significant

differences

in the way

they approached

it and the

value that

they gave

to doing

what they

did,

the task

to fulfil

the task

that they

had to

do.

That's the

difference.

Is there

heart in

it?

Is the

person's

heart in

it?

The person

that doesn't

have the

heart in

it may

actually

do a

better

job.

But you

can see

clear

differences.

And that

is what

God delights

to see.

The one

that has

the heart.

That is

where whose

value lies.

God loves

a cheerful

giver.

It says

in 2nd

Corinthians.

It doesn't

say God

loves a

giver.

God loves

a cheerful

giver.

The heart

of the

matter is

the crux.

And this

is what

comes through

in the

psalm.

It's through

David.

It is

his heart

as he

comes to

worship.

We'll see

that.

But we've

got to ask

ourselves,

where is

our heart

as we

come to

worship?

Why do

we come

to worship?

How great

is God

as we

come to

worship him?

How do

we sing

when we

sing praises

to God?

How do

we pray

when we

pray to

God?

How great

to you

is God?

And what

David is

saying here

would have

been probably

controversial

in its

day.

But with

no heart

of repentance,

no acknowledgement

of sin

and only

doing this

outward

traditional

procedure

offering

sacrifices,

God had

no delight

in it.

If the

heart was

misaligned,

God did

not delight

in it.

And Samuel

picks up on

this as well

in Old Testament

times.

He asks

the question,

has the

Lord as

great delight

in burnt

offerings and

sacrifices?

As in

obeying the

voice of the

Lord,

behold,

he says,

it is

better to

obey than

to offer

sacrifice.

Behold,

to obey is

better than

sacrifice and

to listen

than the

fat of

rams.

That

lovingly

dutiful

offering of

ourselves comes

through there.

But David

says something

else in this

passage,

which is quite

interesting.

He says that

you have

given me

an open

ear.

Now,

you look at

this version,

you think,

well,

okay,

David said

sacrifice and

offering God

has not

desired.

And God

has given

him an

open ear.

Is that

open ear

that God

has given

him

understanding

that

these

sacrifices

and offerings

are of

little

value if

they come

on of

themselves.

We can

say that,

and it is

true in a

sense that

God does

open our

ears,

God does

unblock our

ears to

understand who

he is.

And David

has a clear

insight,

a clearer

insight maybe

than many of

in their day

as to who

God was.

us.

But if you

look at the

Scottish Psalter

version,

the version

that we

sing,

you'll see

that it

says that,

it doesn't

say my

ears were

open,

but my

ears were

bored.

And that's

really what

the Hebrew

is.

It means a

boring of

the ear.

And I

want to just

mention something

here because

it is worth

mentioning.

And it

references a

servant and a

master really

here.

And the

context of

it comes

from the

Old Testament

where the

boring of

the ear is a

piercing of

the ear as

such.

And the

master would

bore or

pierce the

servant's ear.

And this

would be a

sign of

something.

So to

give you the

context of

that sign,

it would

have been

in the

year of

Jubilee,

when the

servant would

have been

set free.

He would

have done

a six-year

duty and

he would

have been

set free.

And in

Exodus 21,

I'll read a

short passage

here that

really makes

it clear for

us.

If the

master gives

him a

wife in

this time

that he

had been

a slave,

if the

master gives

him a

wife and

she bears

him a

son or

a daughter,

the wife

and her

children

shall be

the

master,

and he

shall go

out alone.

But if

the slave

plainly

says,

I love

my

master,

I love

my wife,

I love

my children,

I will

not go

out free,

then his

master shall

bring him

to God,

and he

shall bring

him to

the door

or to

the

doorpost,

and the

master

shall

bore

his

ear

through

with

an

awe,

and he

shall be

his

slave

forever.

The

act of

piercing

the

slave's

ear

meant

that the

slave

was

willingly

submitting

himself

to remain

within

the

master's

house

forever.

And this

is the

heart of

David coming

through here

in worship.

He's

saying,

you have

borne

my ear,

and I

am one

that will

remain in

your house

forever.

Dutifully

devoted to

your house,

I choose

to remain

with you.

But these

words are

not all

about David.

They're not

all about

ourselves.

They're

largely about

Christ.

And that's

where the

richness comes

through in

the boring

of this

ear.

Jesus was

the one

that was

represented

in the

sacrifices.

But Jesus

was the

one that

sacrificed

with his

heart.

Christ is

the servant

that chose

to have

his ear

bored to

God's

house in

a sense.

Christ is

the one

that chose

to remain

in the

house of

God

for his

love for

the people.

Like the

slave who

was willing

to submit

to those

that were

in the

house,

Christ

was willing

to submit

for us.

Christ

is the

one

who

submitted

himself

to the

service

of the

father

because

he

could

say like

the

slave,

I love

my

master,

I love

my wife,

I love

my children.

It's as if

he was

saying I

love my

father,

I love

my bride,

the church,

and I

love the

children that

you have

given to

me.

and he

chose

that he

would be

pierced

for these

people

that were

given to

him.

And he

chose

that he

would be

the one

that would

remain

forever

with them.

The one

that chose

to give

his heart

and life

for these

people.

The act

of piercing

was a

sign that

the slave

would remain

forever,

but that

he was

willing to

do it.

Christ was

willing to

be pierced

for us

in order

that we

may know

him and

that he

may remain

with us.

But how

was her

heart?

Do we

have that

heart's

desire?

to

remain

with God,

to come

to God,

not to

run after

our own

things,

but to

say

dutifully,

I remain

with you.

Matthew

Henry

writes,

when the

law of

God is

written on

our hearts,

our duty

will be

our delight.

So briefly,

we'll look

at delight.

And we

see that

from verse

seven.

Then I

said,

behold,

I have

come.

In the

scroll of

the book

it is

written of

me.

I

desire to

do your

will,

O my

God.

Your

law is

within

my heart.

David

as the

one,

that

slave that

was

willing to

come.

Behold,

I have

come,

he says.

He comes

to God.

He comes

and is so

willing like

that slave

to come.

And he

confesses that

in the

scroll of

the book

it is

written of

me.

Now this

points to

Christ,

of course.

But is it

not true

that David

himself can

confess that

within the

scroll of

the book

it is

written of

me.

Within

the

scripture

it is

written of

me.

He saw

who he

is himself

through

God's

word.

And that

is

likened to

ourselves.

It is

God's word

that reveals

who we

really are.

Negatively,

it shows

us who we

are in

our sin,

who we

are before

God,

who we

are in

our own

nature,

the things

that we

desire that

are not

good for

us.

But

positively

so,

does the

word of

God show

us who

we are

in Christ

Jesus.

We are

adopted by

him and

we are

redeemed

by him.

But there

is a

delight to

do the

will of

God as

well.

It delights

not his

own will,

not things

that are

pleasing to

his own

desires.

God

desires.

He desires

to do

what God

requires.

That is

our

dutiful

response

as we

come and

worship.

Our

worship is

not an

arena for

open

experimentation.

If we

worship by

doing what

we enjoy,

rather than

doing what

is pleasing

to God,

our worship

will gravitate

towards

idolatry.

Sproul,

R.C.

Sproul wrote

these words.

We must

be careful

in how

we approach

God.

But it's

a transforming

work

only that

can make

us really

approach God

with a

heart of

worship.

And we

desire to

come to

God and

maybe we

wonder why

we come to

God in

such a

way.

We

question

ourselves

and say

I love

these things

of the

world.

But then

I desire

to do

God's.

I desire

to come

to God

greater.

That's the

heart that

God put

in us.

It's not

our work

of ourselves.

You see

of Christ

this is

true as

well.

Christ

was the

one who

confessed

himself.

The

will of

God was

difficult

for him.

Nevertheless

not your

will but

yours be

done.

He was

dutiful in

his approach

to God.

But he

delighted to

do the

will of

God.

And you

see that

at the

extremities

of life

Christ

our

example

was glad

to

fulfil

the

will

of

God.

And in

a sense

we see

that

well

delight

to do

God's

will

is not

always

a sense

that we

are happy

full of

praise

joy

and

feeling

joyous

but it

overlaps

back into

a dutiful

sense.

Paul

had the

thorn in

his flesh

and asked

the Lord

to remove

it but he

was content

that it

wasn't

removed

from.

There's

things that

are difficult

in our

lives that

are the

Lord's

will

but we

struggle to

understand

and we

are not

immune from

the sharp

end of

life's

stick as

a sense.

And of

course we

cry to

God in

our

experiences.

we plead

with God

in the

situations

that we

find

ourselves

in.

We

ask why

is this

not

different?

Your

will

is too

hard for

me to

grasp.

We

confess

that your

will is

not what

I want.

Your

will is

not my

will.

but do

we have

the heart

to say

in

confession

as we

come before

God

nevertheless

not my

will

but yours

be done.

We have

that servant

willing to

devote his

life to

God again.

The one

who is

willing to

have his

ears

pierced.

Devoting

himself

not the

things that

I want.

what does

God

desire

of me?

What is

the will

of God

for my

life?

Whatever

it is

may we

find a

delight

in it.

We may

not see

the delight

in it

immediately.

The

delight

may come

afterwards.

It may

not even

come in

this

lifetime

but let

our

delight

be in

his

will.

May

our

heart

be

inclined

to

his

ways.

And

may

we

be

people

that

are

not

ashamed

to

speak

of

all

that

he

has

done

for us.

The last

few

verses

there

I have

told the

glad

news of

deliverance

in the

great

congregation.

Behold I

have not

restrained my

lips as you

know O

Lord.

I have

not hidden

your

deliverance

within my

heart.

I have

spoken of

your

faithfulness

and your

salvation.

I have

not

concealed

your

steadfast

love and

your

faithfulness

from the

great

congregation.

We don't

have time

to go

into this

really.

But it

is that

man who

is

unashamed

to speak

of what

God has

done for

him.

David was

glad to

tell of

the

righteousness

and

deliverance,

the

steadfast

love of

God

in his

experience.

God

is

he

was

active

and

confident

as he

did

so.

You can

see that

I have

is scattered

through them

two

verses.

And he

comes before

the great

congregations

gladly

telling

these

things.

Ephesians

speaks

of

that we

may have

strength to

comprehend

with all

the saints

what is

the breadth,

the length,

the height,

and the

depth

of God.

You know,

we come

together with

our different

experiences.

And as

Christians,

you know,

it's great

hearing people's

testimonies.

And you

think,

well,

I didn't

know that

about the

person,

and I

didn't

know they

had gone

through that.

I didn't

know God

would work

in such a

way as

he has

done in

that person's

life.

But as

we come

together,

and as

we gather

together,

unashamed

of what

God has

done for

us,

may we

declare

that God

has done

a great

work in

my life.

And as

we do

this

together,

we

strengthen

one another,

strengthen

with all

the saints.

What is

the breadth,

length,

height,

and depth?

You know,

we might

hear of

someone's

conversion,

or God