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Sermon before Salvation

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  1. Well, good evening and welcome to a service from Beglew, Free Church.

  2. We're going to begin a four-week study on Gideon, one of the famous judges that we find in the Old Testament.

  3. But before we get to Judges chapter 6, I want to read a short section from Ephesians chapter 2 and then we'll pray.

    Judges 6 chapter mention Ephesians 2 chapter mention

  4. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

  5. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.

  6. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

  7. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions.

  8. It is by grace you have been saved.

  9. Let's pray together.

  10. Lord, our God, we thank you that your word contains that word of saving grace that we discover in the Bible.

  11. How despite our sin and rebellion, despite the fact that by nature we are spiritually dead because of our transgression and our sin against you,

  12. despite our slavery to evil forces, to the devil and to sin,

  13. despite our desire to satisfy our own flesh,

  14. that because of your great love,

  15. because of your great mercy,

  16. you sent your son Jesus to be that saviour that we need,

  17. to make us alive with him

  18. and to save us by your grace,

  19. to raise us up with Christ

  20. and to give us every spiritual blessing in him.

  21. Lord, we need your word in our life.

  22. We need your word to convict and challenge us.

  23. We need your word to teach us,

  24. to humble us,

  25. to encourage us.

  26. We need your word

  27. in order that we might be saved.

  28. And so as we come to consider your word together,

  29. may you send your spirit to give light and to give life to us,

  30. we pray in Jesus' name.

  31. Amen.

  32. So we'll be in Judges chapter 6 together.

    Judges 6 chapter mention

  33. It's a lengthy chapter,

  34. but with lots going on

  35. and hopefully lots that we can learn from also.

  36. So, Judges chapter 6.

    Judges 6 chapter mention

  37. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord

  38. and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

  39. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,

  40. the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves

  41. in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

  42. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops,

  43. the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples

  44. invaded the country.

  45. They camped on the land and ruined the crops

  46. all the way to Gaza

  47. and did not spare a living thing for Israel,

  48. neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

  49. They came up with their livestock and their tents

  50. like swarms of locusts.

  51. It was impossible to count them or their camels.

  52. They invaded the land to ravage it.

  53. Midian so impoverished the Israelites

  54. that they cried out to the Lord for help.

  55. When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian,

  56. he sent them a prophet who said,

  57. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says.

  58. I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

  59. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians

  60. and I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors.

  61. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.

  62. I said to you, I am the Lord your God.

  63. Do not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live,

  64. but you have not listened to me.

  65. The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak and oprah

  66. that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite,

  67. where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress

  68. to keep it from the Midianites.

  69. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon,

  70. he said, The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.

  71. Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied,

  72. but if the Lord is with us,

  73. why has all this happened to us?

  74. Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about

  75. when they said, Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?

  76. But now the Lord has abandoned us

  77. and given us into the hand of Midian.

  78. The Lord turned to him and said,

  79. Go in the strength you have

  80. and save Israel out of Midian's hand.

  81. Am I not sending you?

  82. Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied,

  83. but how can I save Israel?

  84. My clan is the weakest in Manasseh

  85. and I am the least in my family.

  86. The Lord answered, I will be with you

  87. and you will strike down all the Midianites,

  88. leaving none alive.

  89. Gideon replied,

  90. If now I have found favour in your eyes,

  91. give me a sign that it's really you talking to me.

  92. Please do not go away until I come back

  93. and bring my offering and set it before you.

  94. And the Lord said,

  95. I will wait until you return.

  96. Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat

  97. and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast.

  98. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot,

  99. he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

  100. The angel of God said to him,

  101. Take the meat and the unleavened bread,

  102. place them on this rock and pour out the broth.

  103. And Gideon did so.

  104. Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat

  105. and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff

  106. that was in his hand.

  107. Fire flared from the rock,

  108. consuming the meat and the bread.

  109. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.

  110. When Gideon realised that it was the angel of the Lord,

  111. he exclaimed,

  112. Alas, Sovereign Lord, I've seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

  113. But the Lord said to him,

  114. Peace, do not be afraid.

  115. You are not going to die.

  116. So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it,

  117. The Lord is Peace.

  118. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

  119. That same night the Lord said to him,

  120. Take the second bull from your father's herd,

  121. the one seven years old.

  122. Tear down your father's altar to Baal

  123. and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

  124. Then build a proper kind of altar

  125. to the Lord your God on the top of this height.

  126. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down,

  127. offer the second bull as a burnt offering.

  128. So Gideon took ten of his servants

  129. and did as the Lord told him.

  130. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople,

  131. he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

  132. In the morning when the people of the town got up,

  133. there was Baal's altar demolished

  134. with the Asherah pole beside it cut down

  135. and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar.

  136. They asked each other,

  137. Who did this?

  138. When they carefully investigated,

  139. they were told Gideon, son of Joash, did it.

  140. The people of the town demanded of Joash,

  141. Bring out your son.

  142. He must die because he has broken down Baal's altar

  143. and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

  144. But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him,

  145. Are you going to plead Baal's cause?

  146. Are you trying to save him?

  147. Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning.

  148. If Baal really is a god,

  149. he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.

  150. So because Gideon broke down Baal's altar,

  151. they gave him the name Jerob Baal that day,

  152. saying, Let Baal contend with him.

  153. Now all the Midianites, Amalekites,

  154. and other eastern peoples joined forces

  155. and crossed over the Jordan

  156. and camped in the valley of Jezreel.

  157. Then the spirit of the Lord came on Gideon

  158. and he blew a trumpet,

  159. summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

  160. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh,

  161. calling them to arms,

  162. and also into Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali,

  163. so that they too went up to meet them.

  164. Gideon said to God,

  165. If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised,

  166. look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor.

  167. If there is dew only on the fleece

  168. and all the ground is dry,

  169. then I will know that you will save Israel

  170. by my hand as you said.

  171. And that is what happened.

  172. Gideon rose early the next day.

  173. He squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew,

  174. a bowl full of water.

  175. Then Gideon said to God,

  176. Do not be angry with me.

  177. Let me make just one more request.

  178. Allow me one more test with this fleece.

  179. But this time,

  180. make the fleece dry

  181. and let the ground be covered with dew.

  182. That night, God did so.

  183. Only the fleece was dry.

  184. All the ground was covered with dew.

  185. Amen.

  186. This is God's word.

  187. Now, today we're thinking about the fact that this sermon,

  188. we find it, comes before salvation.

  189. Sermon before salvation.

  190. I wonder, have you ever found yourself saying to another person,

  191. I don't need a lecture right now.

  192. Or sometimes you might say that.

  193. Well, we could perhaps imagine

  194. if someone's walking too close to the edge of a riverside

  195. and they happen to stumble and fall into the river,

  196. that person doesn't need a lecture.

  197. They just need pulled out.

  198. Or if you're stranded in your car by the roadside,

  199. when your mechanic comes

  200. and he comes with a list of wise sayings on car care,

  201. you might find,

  202. I don't need a lecture right now.

  203. I just need to get moving.

  204. Sometimes the problem seems obvious.

  205. The need seems urgent.

  206. So therefore we think this is the time for help.

  207. Now, I wonder if Gideon and his generation thought that.

  208. Here they are, seven years of misery

  209. at the hands of the people of Midian.

  210. And then they cry out in pain to God.

  211. But what's God's response?

  212. First he sends them a preacher,

  213. not the freedom fighter they're hoping for.

  214. Now, why is that?

  215. It's a really important question

  216. that we'll think about today.

  217. The answer is that God wants to tackle

  218. the root problem in their heart.

  219. He wants to get to the heart of the matter,

  220. which is far deeper than temporary social distress.

  221. And what we need to understand is that God's desire

  222. and God's design, they don't change.

  223. God would want us to see,

  224. just as he wanted Gideon's generation,

  225. to see the danger of sin.

  226. So that we see,

  227. when he extends salvation from spiritual death as a gift,

  228. that we see that as good news.

  229. And God will still use his word in order to convict people,

  230. to convict us of our sin,

  231. to show us our forgetfulness of him,

  232. to expose our idolatry that goes on in our hearts,

  233. in order, ultimately, that we would turn to Jesus.

  234. So today, as we think about Judges 6,

  235. God would use this story in the life of Gideon

  236. in order to reveal to you and to me today

  237. our own sin and weakness and our need of the Saviour.

  238. And he would also, with the help of the Spirit,

  239. reveal Jesus as the greater deliverer than Gideon,

  240. so that we might trust him,

  241. that our trust for him and our love of him would grow.

  242. So there's a big chapter, lots to cover,

  243. so let's dive in.

  244. And let's think, first of all, of God's criticism.

  245. That's what we focus on in the first 10 verses.

  246. Remember, verse 7 onwards,

  247. we see sermon before salvation

  248. because God wants their hearts.

  249. Their immediate problem,

  250. their being oppressed and impoverished,

  251. but God probes deeper.

  252. And that's his kindness.

  253. To his own people,

  254. to expose the deeper spiritual problem

  255. that lurks within,

  256. so that true healing might come.

  257. We might think, perhaps, of visiting a GP.

  258. We have a presenting problem.

  259. But then the doctor begins to ask some questions

  260. and then sends us away and runs some tests.

  261. And between those questions and those tests,

  262. it reveals a deeper problem,

  263. perhaps a problem that requires surgery.

  264. It is a kindness to probe beyond the surface.

  265. And God uses his word in particular to his people

  266. through his prophet, his preacher,

  267. to probe forgetfulness and idolatry.

  268. So let's look at what they have forgotten.

  269. Verse 8,

  270. this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says.

  271. I brought you up out of Egypt.

  272. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians.

  273. I delivered you from all your oppressors.

  274. I drove them out and gave you your land.

  275. I wonder just as Israel had forgotten God do we forget God as our creator that God has made us

  276. in his image that we might know him enjoy him and love him and that we would show loyalty

  277. and obedience to him I wonder too if we forget God is our provider and just as a Gideon or Gideon's

  278. generation was reminded that God had provided rescue and a land for them every good gift that

  279. we enjoy today and every day of our life comes from our God but when we forget that what follows

  280. is a loss of gratitude to God we think well this is all my stuff and do we forget God as saviour

  281. in which case we become cold to Jesus he doesn't seem like good news we don't need him and his

  282. salvation or as Christians we can become complacent we can lose sight of the wonder of the fact that

  283. as Paul said in Ephesians that though we were spiritually dead and spiritually slaves to sin

  284. and heading for for destruction God in mercy and love sent Jesus and Jesus has rescued us

  285. we need to be reminded about our forgetfulness what about our heart idols you know for for them it's

  286. Baal and Asherah but what about us what are the what are the heart idols in my life and in your life they can be

  287. anything that we look to for our source of identity our source of salvation our source of comfort

  288. there is not God for example money is recognized by Jesus as perhaps the dominant idol and isn't it easy

  289. for us to think that money makes us somebody I am what I own or I am because I consume because I have

  290. all this stuff then I am a somebody this is me we can also look to our money to give us salvation

  291. that we can buy our way so we think to security to prosperity or buy our way out of trouble

  292. we can look to money to provide comfort for us now like the parable Jesus told of of the rich fool

  293. who said take life easy eat drink and be merry not recognizing that his his life would be taken from

  294. him that very night see we are made in the image of God and we are to find our identity from him

  295. God has sent Jesus to be our savior and we are to look to him for salvation God sends the spirit to be

  296. our comforter and he is to be our comfort but we can so easily put God to one side in order to place our hope

  297. in an idol

  298. often in in Israel they had a a sort of a God plus and the other idols theology kind of um well we'll

  299. worship God but we'll also worship these uh false gods just in case or they just in case they they work

  300. and we can do that we can find ourselves running to created things placing our hope and our value our

  301. sense of significance or on another person or or another thing

  302. you and I we were made to find our identity salvation and comfort from God to look vertically to look up

  303. but when we forget it's when we look around we look horizontally for them to gods that are too small

  304. that cannot save and so God's word comes to this people who are suffering misery and God's word goes

  305. deeper and God's word cuts deep and that's a kindness as God looks to bring repentance they would turn

  306. away from sin and self back to God that he would that they would um then be restored into fellowship

  307. with him that there'd be renewal in their hearts true spiritual worship going on and that's his desire

  308. for each one of us also so that was God's criticism but then um verses 11 to 24 let's think about God's

  309. deliverer perhaps we can imagine Gideon we can imagine the nation perhaps asking this question over the

  310. seven years of misery where is God when you need him maybe you find yourself asking the same question

  311. some unexpected circumstance some difficulty in your life perhaps even a traumatic event

  312. and you can find yourself asking where is God when you need him well what we'll see in this section

  313. of God's word is that God gives Gideon a really precious gift he gives him a promise and that promise

  314. is this one I am with you the point being that we can deal with a lot but we know that to be true in our

  315. own experience and that's a promise that God would give to each one of us

  316. as we're trusting in Jesus so this section deals with the call of Gideon to be the next judge

  317. and the the commissioning of Gideon giving him his task and I want us to recognize this how surprising

  318. this moment is this is surprising grace because remember here's the people who've forgotten God

  319. here's a group of people who are turning to idols here's a group of people with no sign of repentance

  320. and yet God in his grace shows that he wants to save a people for himself and for his glory

  321. but let's see how that promise I am with you sort of features throughout this text

  322. so look at the greeting in verse 12 the angel of the lord

  323. it said the lord is with you mighty warrior the lord is with you there's the promise right there

  324. in the greeting and that prompts the question from Gideon that question where is God when we need him

  325. why this crisis we've heard about all that God did in the past but why is God not with us now

  326. Gideon at this point is failing to see that God actually was with him he was with them in exposing

  327. their sin exposing their idolatry and calling them back but he's not seen that yet

  328. verse 14 here's his task the lord turned to him and said go in the strength you have and save

  329. Israel out of Midian's hand am I not sending you so there's that call and there's God saying I'm

  330. sending you how does Gideon respond he responds a lot like Moses focusing on his own personal weakness

  331. you're my my my nation is weak my family is weak and I'm the weakest of the weak but the response

  332. verse 16 I will be with you and you will strike down all the Midianites here's a reminder it's in

  333. God's power that he is the mighty warrior in God's provision God's strength and God's presence

  334. but then verse 17 we see Gideon a couple of times we see Gideon seeking assurance for his faith and

  335. here's the first time Gideon replied if now I have found favor in your eyes give me a sign that it's

  336. really you talking to me and so what he says is God let me go and prepare an offering and bring it back

  337. he wants assurance of God's favor and God's presence with him and the response of God is dramatic so he

  338. brings back some food verse 21 the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with

  339. the tip of the staff fire flared from the rock consuming the meat and the bread and the angel of

  340. the Lord disappeared there is his question answered God is powerful God is present God consumes the meal by

  341. way of answering Gideon is is weak his faith is weak but God is strong and God is with him and God will

  342. work through him it's good news isn't it good news for us in our weakness perhaps we can think of

  343. young children if you have young children you can think back to when your children were younger

  344. and they are at times able to do hard things that they didn't think they were able to do so long as

  345. their parent is with them perhaps holding their hand perhaps giving them reassurance giving them strength

  346. God's I am with you is intended to be a source of salvation and strength for God's people in every generation

  347. it was true in the life of Jesus remember the time when he and his disciples were in a raging storm

  348. and they woke Jesus up don't you care if we drown and Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves

  349. another time when they were out in a storm and Jesus came walking on the water and then he came into the

  350. the point was they did not need to fear because Jesus the I am the I am God Jesus who is God was

  351. with them he was the answer to their fear the story of Gideon is a reminder to to you and to me today that

  352. to trust in Jesus is to know God's favour in our lives that we enjoy God's grace God's kindness God's

  353. love as a free gift that we don't deserve but we receive by faith to trust in Jesus is to enjoy

  354. his presence

  355. that those words that Jesus said to his disciples are just as true for us I am with you always to

  356. the end of the age Jesus sends the spirit to dwell in our hearts so God comes to dwell in our hearts

  357. through faith and when we're trusting in Jesus we know his peace just as verse 22 Gideon realised

  358. our last sovereign Lord I've seen the angel of the Lord face to face the Lord said to him peace do not

  359. be afraid you're not going to die Gideon built an altar called the Lord is peace knowing Jesus can

  360. can speak peace to our troubled hearts so today are we resting him are we trusting in Jesus as Lord and

  361. are we trusting him for our salvation is he our hope in life and death in our trouble that we find

  362. ourselves today are we trusting in Jesus the one who said I am with you always

  363. God's grace now let's move from God's deliverer to think about God's mission now picture the scene

  364. and this nation has been in trouble and it's been in trouble for seven years they're struggling to

  365. have enough to survive they're they're under the oppression of the Midianites and the reasons have

  366. been declared their forgetfulness their idolatry but now as an act of grace the deliverer is on the scene

  367. what would we expect the first task to be what would we expect probably sound that the trumpet

  368. let's go into battle let's call the army together for a council of war but Gideon's first task is to

  369. deal with the problem in his own back garden verse 25 that same night the Lord said to him take the

  370. second bull from your father's herd the one seven years old tear down your father's altar to bail and cut

  371. down the Asherah pole beside it why start there why start so local when there's this great big national

  372. problem well doesn't it go back to the sermon that came before the promised salvation it goes to the

  373. root of the problem the problem of of idolatry of forgetfulness of placing hope and offering worship

  374. to things other than God God desires national repentance he's not just after their comfort and

  375. their political peace so part one of God's mission for Gideon is about the battle for true worship in

  376. verse 25 to 32 he is to tear down the the false worship then the Asherah pole the the altar to bail he's to

  377. build an altar to the one true God and he's to sacrifice there that's a reminder that God is a jealous God

  378. he is jealous for our love he's jealous for the loyalty of people's hearts it's a reminder that

  379. there's only one throne in our hearts and God will not share it and Jesus said you cannot serve God and

  380. money it's also a reminder that there is only one true and powerful God the story brings a wonderful

  381. defense from from Gideon's dad so the people who are obviously their hearts are turned to idols

  382. actually want to kill Gideon because he deals with idolatry so the flip side of what God would want but

  383. but Gideon's dad in verse 31 are you going to plead Baal's cause are you going to try are you trying to save

  384. him if Baal really is a God he can defend himself if you need to save your God if your God can be knocked

  385. over if your God can be ripped from you your God is too small think about that in our own experience

  386. it's a reminder too that their major problem was spiritual not social it's about a lack of love not

  387. a lack of grain they needed peace with God more than they needed peace from Midianite battles

  388. God wants true worship God would have us then examine our hearts and our lives

  389. to think about what we are concerned about concerned about for our family of our nation

  390. God would have true worship the greatest problem we face is is spiritual not social do our prayers do

  391. our concerns reflect that what is it that that I am trusting in really

  392. can I say that Jesus has first place in my heart and my life do I depend on him as I'm working

  393. through the day and a difficulty comes am I praying to him and asking him for his wisdom and his peace

  394. and his guidance am I choosing loyalty to him

  395. so Gideon's first battle is a battle for true worship but then in verse 33 to 35 there's also a battle against the enemies

  396. so the Midianites and Malachites and other eastern peoples they join forces against God's people

  397. verse 34 then this the spirit of Lord came on Gideon and he blew a trumpet and he summons the people to follow

  398. Gideon is the spirit-filled deliverer and the people rallied to him in order to carry out God's plan

  399. question is though why come to Gideon in his weakness he's confessed he's weak people know he's weak

  400. they come because of God's spirit they come because here is the answer to God's promise

  401. here is his power with and for Gideon here is his presence with and for Gideon

  402. and so the people rally to the spirit-filled deliverer and when we think about this happening

  403. we fast forward to the New Testament we see don't we Gideon anticipates the work of Jesus in the gospel

  404. Jesus who as he is baptized is filled with the spirit without measure

  405. Jesus who from the beginning goes into battle against the forces of evil

  406. we see it as he confronts the forces of demons and evil spirits

  407. and we see it ultimately as he goes to the cross

  408. waging war against the forces of Satan and sin and death and he triumphs over them at the cross

  409. and we see that in his resurrection

  410. and he breaks the power of sin so that

  411. as we are trusting in Jesus we are able to truly love God again

  412. to truly worship God again if our faith is in him

  413. the great battle that Jesus has won is a spiritual battle against those enemies that stand opposed to us

  414. and that would lead us away from God and towards destruction

  415. but God in his love and grace and mercy sent Jesus so that by faith in him we might be made alive

  416. so that's the mission that Gideon is on

  417. it's a big mission isn't it

  418. and so perhaps in a sense it's not surprising

  419. that we see in our closing verses God's assurance to Gideon

  420. verse 36 to 40

  421. Gideon said to God if you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised

  422. look I'll place a wool fleece on the threshing floor

  423. if there's dew on the fleece and all the ground is dry

  424. I'll know that you'll save Israel by my hand as you said

  425. now

  426. there's the question of the testing of God here

  427. the question of what's going on with these fleeces

  428. what do we do with this

  429. what does it have to teach us

  430. a couple of things I would say that it's not

  431. I don't think Gideon here is being disobedient

  432. you know as he looks for assurance for his faith

  433. and I think we can say that because God answers by miracle

  434. not just once but twice

  435. it's a good indication that he's not being disobedient

  436. this isn't also

  437. these fleeces aren't about

  438. am I going to choose plan A or choose plan B

  439. he's not testing God

  440. he's not demanding signs to aid decision making

  441. sometimes I think we can sort of place that kind of burden

  442. we can test God in that way

  443. well if I'm supposed to do this then make this and this and this happen

  444. and we need to be careful about testing God in that way

  445. and that's not what Gideon is doing

  446. but it is

  447. certainly is a reassuring

  448. I do know isn't it a wonderful reminder

  449. here is Gideon

  450. who knows his own weakness

  451. being asked to do a huge task

  452. and he's trusting that God is powerful enough to answer by miracle

  453. and he's seeking reassurance

  454. and God what does he do

  455. he stoops down to Gideon's level

  456. he stoops down to answer him and to meet his need

  457. God is willing to reassure his anxious children

  458. to say in another way

  459. I am with you and I will help you

  460. God is our father and he loves us

  461. and he understands and he wants to

  462. to care for and to protect

  463. our faith and to reassure

  464. our faith and God gives these

  465. two signs to strengthen faith

  466. one time where

  467. the fleece is wet

  468. and the ground is dry

  469. the other time where the ground is dry

  470. and the fleece is

  471. wet

  472. I don't know if I can say that right

  473. and those signs

  474. then stand as assurance

  475. for Gideon

  476. in our day

  477. where do we look for this assurance

  478. of God's presence

  479. God's favour

  480. God being with us

  481. we don't look to fleeces

  482. we look

  483. to Jesus

  484. we have questions

  485. does God love me

  486. is he for me

  487. is he with me

  488. faith looks

  489. to Jesus

  490. this morning

  491. last Sunday of every month

  492. in our church

  493. we share the Lord's Supper

  494. we share a sign from God

  495. to strengthen our faith

  496. the Lord's Supper

  497. that reminder

  498. that

  499. God sent Jesus

  500. Jesus

  501. gave his

  502. broken body

  503. and his shed blood

  504. that we might be forgiven

  505. that we might have eternal life

  506. that we might be part

  507. of his kingdom

  508. that we might know

  509. his love

  510. and communion

  511. and enjoyment

  512. of his presence

  513. forever

  514. God sent his son

  515. to deliver us

  516. and since he has done that

  517. we can know

  518. that he is with us

  519. and that he is

  520. for us

  521. so we're invited

  522. like Gideon

  523. to trust

  524. to trust him

  525. even when we feel

  526. our faith is weak

  527. to recognise

  528. that we trust

  529. in a strong

  530. an infinitely strong

  531. saviour

  532. so the people

  533. in Gideon's day

  534. they got a sermon

  535. before

  536. salvation

  537. in our story

  538. God sent his word

  539. to convict

  540. the people

  541. to cut them

  542. to the heart

  543. to expose

  544. their sin

  545. and their idolatry

  546. with the aim

  547. that

  548. they would repent

  549. they would turn away

  550. from those things

  551. and turn back

  552. to the living God

  553. that they would be restored

  554. into fellowship

  555. with him

  556. is that a message

  557. that you need

  558. to hear

  559. today

  560. do you need

  561. to be restored

  562. to God

  563. do you need

  564. to repent

  565. of sin

  566. and idolatry

  567. to have faith

  568. in

  569. God

  570. to have faith

  571. in Jesus

  572. his son

  573. and then God

  574. in his grace

  575. sent his

  576. deliverer

  577. sent his saviour

  578. promised

  579. his salvation

  580. anticipating

  581. the work

  582. of Jesus

  583. the greater

  584. deliverer

  585. the greater

  586. saviour

  587. are you trusting

  588. him

  589. today

  590. are you trusting

  591. Jesus

  592. as saviour

  593. are you

  594. resting

  595. in

  596. his presence

  597. with you

  598. do you know

  599. his strength

  600. made perfect

  601. in your

  602. weakness

  603. are you

  604. taking heart

  605. from that

  606. promise

  607. I am

  608. with you

  609. always

  610. God's word

  611. convicts

  612. but God's word

  613. also speaks

  614. that wonderful

  615. promise

  616. of gospel

  617. salvation

  618. in Jesus

  619. let's pray

  620. dear God

  621. we thank you

  622. for your word

  623. that word

  624. that convicts

  625. that word

  626. that also

  627. points us

  628. away from

  629. ourself

  630. and our

  631. sin

  632. towards

  633. Jesus

  634. and your

  635. plan of

  636. salvation

  637. may we

  638. be looking

  639. to him

  640. in faith

  641. may we

  642. rest

  643. in

  644. trust

  645. in

  646. that

  647. promise

  648. that you're

  649. the God

  650. who says

  651. I am with

  652. you

  653. I am with

  654. you

  655. always

  656. may we be

  657. enabled to

  658. live by

  659. faith

  660. knowing the

  661. strength

  662. and the

  663. help

  664. that you

  665. provide

  666. we pray

  667. in Jesus

  668. name

  669. Amen

  670. Now as

  671. we close

  672. our time

  673. we'll sing

  674. first of all

  675. we'll sing

  676. Christ

  677. the sure

  678. and steady

  679. anchor

  680. and then

  681. we will sing

  682. version A

  683. of Psalm

  684. 1

  685. Christ

  686. the sure

  687. and steady

  688. anchor

  689. in the

  690. fury

  691. of the

  692. storm

  693. when

  694. the winds

  695. of doubt

  696. blow

  697. through me

  698. and my

  699. sails

  700. have all

  701. been

  702. torn

  703. in

  704. the

  705. suffering

  706. in the

  707. sorrow

  708. when

  709. my

  710. sinking

  711. hopes

  712. are

  713. few

  714. I

  715. will

  716. hold

  717. fast

  718. to

  719. the

  720. anchor

  721. it

  722. shall

  723. never

  724. be

  725. renewed

  726. Christ

  727. the

  728. sure

  729. and

  730. steady

  731. anchor

  732. while

  733. while

  734. the

  735. tempest

  736. rages

  737. on

  738. when

  739. temptation

  740. claims

  741. the

  742. battle

  743. and

  744. it

  745. seems

  746. the night

  747. has

  748. won

  749. deeper

  750. still

  751. then

  752. goes

  753. the

  754. anchor

  755. though

  756. I

  757. justly

  758. stand

  759. accused

  760. I

  761. will

  762. hold

  763. fast

  764. to

  765. the anchor, it shall never be removed.

  766. Christ the sure and steady anchor through the floods of unbelief.

  767. Hopeless somehow, O my soul now, lift your eyes to Calvary.

  768. This my ballast of assurance, see his love forever proved.

  769. I will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed.

  770. Christ the sure and steady anchor as we face the wave of death.

  771. When these trials give way to glory, and we draw our final breath.

  772. We will cross that great horizon, clouds behind and life secured.

  773. And the calm will be the better for the storms that we endure.

  774. Christ the sure of our salvation, ever faithful, ever true.

  775. We will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed.

  776. Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk.

  777. Instead he finds God's holy law, his joy and great delight.

  778. He makes the precepts of the Lord, his study day and night.

  779. He prospers ever like a tree that's planted by a stream.

  780. And in Jew season yields its fruit, its leaves are always green.

  781. Not so the wicked they are like the chaff that's blown away.

  782. They will not stand when judgment comes or with the righteous stay.

  783. It is the Lord who sees and knows the way the righteous go.

  784. But those who live an evil life, the Lord will overthrow.

  785. J transplant inень

  786. Glory to palms with reward.

  787. filled in and hard ray day.

  788. In other words of a stunning art pocket.

  789. Ph改靖.