O, Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good!

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So scripture says, O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
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Praise God. Please bow with me now as we take this time to pray and call upon the name of the
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Lord and seek His face as we come to hear from heaven from His word.
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Our Father and our God, as the psalmist David prayed and sung, you, when you said, seek my face.
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O Lord, my heart said to you, your face, Lord, I will seek.
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You, O Lord, are good, you do good. And the psalmist prayed again, teach me your statutes.
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Teach us your statutes this morning, Lord, that we may come to know you more, more intimate. As your son prayed in the upper room that evening, the only true
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God in Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Lord, we ask this, this morning, for your honor and glory, in Jesus' name, amen.
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Psalm 107 is a wisdom psalm. It begins book five of the section in the
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Psalms, in the Psalter. Actually, it shares the form and the many of the same theme to Psalm 105 and Psalm 106.
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As I was looking into this, there's perfect symmetry. There's perfect order, there's perfect form, balance, and structure.
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So if you like symmetry and order and form and balance, this psalm is actually in structure, this psalm's for you.
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In this wonderful psalm that opens up to us, it's a thanksgiving to the Lord for his great works of deliverance.
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It actually, we see the saving hand of God throughout this psalm, as many of the other psalms declare.
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And Psalm 107 is not only beautifully crafted, but it's full of insight into the many ways
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God proves his faithfulness to us. As I was studying this,
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I turned to a commentator by the name of William MacDonald and he makes a very insightful thought on this psalm.
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Quote, he says this, there is a common behavior pattern in the lives of God's people which can be summarized by a two -word series.
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And I believe, if I'm not mistaken, R .C. Sproul brought this out a couple of lectures ago as we were going through From Dust to Glory.
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That two -word series is sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation.
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Sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation. You have those four S's. Or you can put the
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R's to it, as R .C. Sproul said and MacDonald says, you have rebellion, retribution, repentance, and restoration.
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I like the R's. The S's are good, too. Sin, servitude, supplication, salvation.
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Rebellion, retribution, repentance, restoration. Now, he goes on to say this, and this is very important for us to get, for us to really grasp what is being said by the
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Holy Spirit in this wonderful psalm. MacDonald says, first of all, the people stray from the
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Lord, walking in disobedience to his word. Then they suffer the bitter consequences of their backsliding.
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When they come to themselves, they cry out to the Lord in confession of sin. He then forgives their sin and brings them back into the place of blessing once more.
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It is the old story of the prodigal son. And surely no story is more familiar, more relevant, and true to life.
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He goes on to say, two basic facts emerge from the contemplation of this ever -reoccurring cycle.
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And you notice, let me stop and pause right there. R .C. Sproul, they said, that cycle we see in the children of Israel throughout the book of Judges.
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He goes on to say, one is the perpetual proneness of the human heart to wander away from God.
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The perpetual proneness of the human heart to wander away from God, from the living God. The other is the seemingly inexhaustible mercy of the
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Lord in restoring his people when they come to him in repentance, end quote.
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You know, I thought that was very well said. That is very true. And it's very biblical based.
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As we go through the Old Testament, we see this constant cycle with the children of Israel time and time and time again.
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They stray from God. They do wickedly before the eyes of God. And God deals with them.
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He chastises them, he chastens them. He disciplines them under his rod and he brings them back.
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And they repent, they cry to the Lord. Well, how true this cycle is, and we see this cycle actually found here in Psalm 107.
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We see the merciful deliverance of the Lord presented in four different pictures. And I'm gonna break this up today and do my best to go through this and cover as much as I can.
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First of all, in verses four to nine, we observe God's rescue for those lost in the desert.
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Verses four to nine, observe God's rescue for those lost in the desert. Second, in verse 10 to 16, we observe
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God's rescue for those in prison. We observe God's rescue for those in prison.
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Thirdly, in verse 17 to 22, we observe God's recovery for those who are seriously ill.
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The recovery of those who are seriously ill. And fourth, we see in verse 23 to 32, we observe
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God's deliverance for Saban in a terrible storm. And then we have the conclusion of God's government of grace.
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And we will look at the conclusion with application. This morning. So first and foremost, however, there is an introduction.
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And if you notice, I did not mention in those five points, verse one to three.
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But actually, verse one to three is an introduction to Psalm 107, which sounds the theme to us.
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That theme is this, verse one. Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
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Now that's the theme on which the psalm begins. Now if we miss this part, we're gonna miss what the whole psalm, the entire psalm is speaking about.
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And wouldn't you know it, wouldn't you know it, not surprisingly, that the theme on which the psalm begins is the way the psalm ends.
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It speaks of the loving kindness of God. And if you notice, in the very last verse, in verse 43, whoever is wise will observe these things and they will understand the loving kindness of the
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Lord. Now, interesting to note this as well, as I was looking at this and I was looking at the previous psalms, even though they have much in common.
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Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, as we're looking at today, has something very much in common.
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There's a trilogy, there's a threefold trilogy of thanksgiving, and each one of these psalms begins with praise and thanksgiving to the
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Lord. Let me quote it to you, listen to Psalm 105 .1. Psalm 105 .1
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begins, oh, give thanks to the Lord, meaning Yahweh, oh, give thanks to the
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Lord. Call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples.
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Psalm 106 .1 begins like this, praise the Lord, or praise
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Yah. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever.
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So in verse one, we have the theme of Psalm 107. Oh, give thanks to the
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Lord, and there's two reasons that are given for the theme. The first reason is, why?
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Because the Lord is good, that's a good reason to give thanks to the
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Lord, isn't it? Because He's good, did not Jesus say to the rich ruler, there's no one good but God.
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Only God is good, and the second reason that we are to give thanks to the
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Lord is why? His mercy, or His compassion, His love and kindness. In the
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Hebrew, it's the hesed, endures forever, never changes.
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So either reason would be more than enough cause for ceaseless praise and ceaseless gratitude to God, because the
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Lord is good and His mercy endures forever. No wonder the psalmist begins with that little word, oh, do not overlook that one word.
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Oh, it's a word of praise and adoration, it's a word of thanksgiving to the
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Lord. And then He introduces to us the two great attributes of God which is
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His goodness and His mercy. What does that remind you of, goodness and mercy?
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Psalm 23, six. David said this, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
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Lord forever. I used to think that I would dwell in the house of the Lord forever, meant on earth.
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No, he's talking about the dwelling place, God forever, where God is, in eternity.
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The goodness of God and the mercy of God is seen throughout this wonderful psalm. So now, he speaks also of a special people that is singled out and picked out and chosen to be the particular recipients here of His goodness and mercy.
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God's elect. Now, who's God's elect? Look at verse two. Let the redeemed of the
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Lord say so. Don't you love that? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
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Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Those who have been purchased by God and redeemed.
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And God has bought them personally to be His own prized possession.
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Redeemed from the persecution. Redeemed from slavery. Redeemed from oppression.
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Redeemed from trouble. Redeemed, been brought back into the land from which has been worldwide dispersion of Israel here in this section, and has
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Israel in view. But we also can see in view that God has brought us out of the slave market of sin by His precious blood and by the blood of the
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Lord Jesus Christ and has redeemed us to Himself. And we want to join in in the anthem of thanksgiving as well and praise the
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Lord for the only one who is truly worthy to receive power, glory, thanksgiving, and wisdom, and strength, and honor.
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And that is who? The only one that's worthy. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation says it like this.
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And this is the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. That's the Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever.
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Praise His wonderful name. Now, think of this. The goodness and the mercy of God is the two attributes of God that is so wonderful.
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We see this throughout the Scriptures. Don't have enough time to even touch and scratch the surface of those great attributes of God.
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But God is the summum bonum. That is the Latin, means that God is the cheapest good of all good.
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Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights, in which there is no parableness, nor a shadow of turning with thee.
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That's what great is our faithfulness. The song we're gonna be singing at the conclusion here of this worship time is basically mentions.
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And that's wonderful, isn't it? God is the cheapest of all good. He is the greatest of all good.
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Actually, the original Saxton word, meaning in our English word, and you're gonna love this, the word
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God is the good. Isn't that wonderful? God, G -O -D, is the meaning, the good, the
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Anglo -Saxon word. A .W. Pink, as I was looking into this under his chapter in the attributes of God, the gleanings from the
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Godhead on the goodness of God. This is what he says about God's goodness. God, quote,
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God is not only the greatest of all beings, but the best. All the goodness there is in any creature has been imparted from the creator, but God's goodness is underrived for it is the essence of his eternal nature, end quote.
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I love that. Psalm 119 .68, here's a chapter and verse that backs up what
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Pink is saying. Thou art good and doest good. Thou art good and doest good.
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And all that proceeds from God, think of this, all of his decrees, all of his holy laws, all of what he's done in creation, all of his providence cannot be otherwise but good.
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Genesis 131 basically says it like this. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
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Psalm 52 .1, the goodness of God endureth continually. Four times now,
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I want you to think of this, in Psalm 107 and five, if you were to conclude the first verse, but four times there is a break as we will see, that the psalmist calls us to remind us time and time again, repetitiously to praise the
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Lord. The psalmist in 107, he's bursting forth saying, and what does he say? Oh, that men would give thanks to the
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Lord for his goodness and his wonderful works to the children of men. So, let the redeemed of the
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Lord say so, right? From whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Verse three, and gathered out of all the lands, from the east, from the west, and from the north, and from the south, from all corners of the earth.
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Think of that. People will not acknowledge it, but the redeemed of the Lord will.
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Here's a question, and only the redeemed of the Lord would ask a question to people such as this.
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Is God good when he takes away as well as when he gives? Now, let's let
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Job answer that. One verse from chapter one, verse 21, chapter and verse from God's word answers that wonderful question.
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He said, and this is after Job, of course, lost all his belongings, he lost everything he had, he lost all of his servants, he lost all of his possessions, he lost all 10 of his children, and one after one, there was a wave upon wave as the servants came and said, all this is gone, all this is gone, and you've lost all your children, and what does he do?
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This is how he responds. He responds in worship, and he said, naked I came from my mother's womb, naked shall
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I return there, and the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the
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Lord. Now, is that true worship? I'll tell you what, your prosperity, our prosperity friends will stay away from that verse.
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They want to talk about how to get, get, and how God gives, and God gives, but what about when
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God takes away? And God is still good. He hasn't changed one iota, even when he takes away, beloved.
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Isn't it wonderful? Here's another question in the introduction here. Is God merciful when he frowns as well as he smiles?
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Let the apostle Paul answer that from Romans 11, 22, as Paul breaks down that wonderful chapter to the
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Romans, and he says this, therefore consider the goodness and severity of God on those who fail severity, but toward you, goodness.
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If you continue in his goodness, there's the perseverance of the saints, and then he waves this sobering warning, otherwise you also be cut off, be cut off.
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Only the redeemed of the Lord will say this. Only the redeemed of the Lord will say this.
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In Psalm 107, the psalmist names four groups. Commentator Derek Kidner says this, and I love
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Derek Kidner. He says this, quote, the centerpiece of this striking psalm is the set of a four word pictures of human predicaments and divine interventions.
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So first of all, let's look at the first point. First of all, we observe God's rescue for those lost in the desert.
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Look at this. We observe God's rescue. God rescues those that are lost in the desert, and we see this in verse four to nine.
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Four to nine. The word of God says, they wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way.
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They found no city to dwell in. Hunger and thirsty, their soul fainted in him, and then they cried out to the
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Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
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We will see this time and time again. And he led them forth by the right way.
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That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the
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Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men. And I love this verse nine.
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For he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with, what is he filling with?
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Goodness. His goodness. Now, the first picture we see here alludes to Israel's 40 year wandering in the desert.
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I really believe this. 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Numbers 14 .33
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says it. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness 40 years.
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And bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.
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Ah, sobering. Can I tell you of another one that went into the wilderness as we approach the
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Gospel of Matthew? And the Scripture says he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
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And he came out victorious representing you and me. And beloved, can
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I tell you this? He did it 40 days and 40 nights fasting. You know why
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I bring this up? Because Jesus knew what it was to be hungry. Jesus knew what it was to hunger.
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Jesus knew what it meant to be thirsty. Jesus knew what it meant to be exhausted.
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And this is found in Psalm 107. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion.
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Jesus knew this as a man. He experienced this as a man. Yet Jesus came to fill the hungry.
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He came to quench the parched and thirsty soul. Hallelujah.
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Kidner says this. Lostness, hunger, thirst, exhaustion are all figures which our
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Lord was to employ in relation to his self -offer as the way, the bread and the water of life and the giver of rest.
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And Jesus gives every single bit of that. Did not he say? He said,
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I am the bread of life. And if ye eat of me, you will never hunger again.
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He fills the hungry, satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with goodness.
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Jesus says, I am the water, I am the living water. Never thirst again, never hunger again, never thirst again, and then
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Jesus says, come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will what? Give you rest.
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Jesus gives rest, not physical rest, only physical rest, but he says what? Rest for your souls.
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You can have soul rest. That's what he's talking about. I like what the old gospel hymn says, one of my wonderful, it's a very simple gospel song,
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I guess you could say, a hymn, but it's called Fill My Cup, Lord. And it says, there are millions in this world who are craving the pleasures of earthly things afford, but none can match the wondrous treasure that I find in Jesus Christ, my
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Lord. So, my brothers, if things this world gave you leave hungers that won't pass away, my blessed
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Lord will come and save you if you kneel to him and humbly pray. I love that.
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None can match the wondrous treasure. None can match the wondrous treasure that is found in Jesus Christ, my
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Lord. Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven.
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Feed me until I want no more. Hallelujah. They were hungry, they were thirsty.
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The scripture says their soul fainted within them. Psalm 77 .3 says this, when I remember God, listen to this, when
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I remember God, then I am disturbed. That's good to be disturbed. When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint.
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Selah. In other words, David is basically saying it is good that the
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Lord afflicts me. It brings me low. It brings me humble that I pant after God.
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Well, if you look at verse six of 107, it says, then they cried out to the Lord. Then they cried out to the
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Lord in their what? Trouble. He delivered them out of their distresses.
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So, we will see that reoccurring repetitiously, that theme comes up time and time again.
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Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses time and time and time again.
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God is good. This is why he does it. It's not because there's something good within the person. There's nothing good within us.
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None's good, no, not one. But it is God that's good. And I like what Tozer said.
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God doesn't answer our prayers because we're good. It's because he's good. Praise God.
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Secondly, the second group are those who have rebelled and rejected the authority of God.
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The group that has rebelled and rejected the authority of God. The psalmist speaks of those that God has released from those in prison.
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Look at verses 10 to 16. Those who sat in darkness in the shadow of death bound in affliction and irons.
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Because, listen to this, because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the
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Most High. Therefore he brought down their heart with labor.
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They fell down and there was none to help. Notice again, verse 13.
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Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses.
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He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains in pieces.
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Verse 15. Oh, that man would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men.
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For he has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron in two.
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So this is our second group of people that's rebelled against the authority of God, against God's word.
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And it says they rebelled against God's word, they despised the counsel of the Most High and he brought down their heart with labor.
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You know, I think about this so many times. God did not let them, he let them go but he allows this to happen because what is he doing?
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He's disciplined them. He loves his children. He allows them to go through affliction to bring them back.
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And that's how good God is. He does this. He cuts the bars of iron in two.
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Only God can cut bars of iron in two. It's wonderful.
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This second group speaks of Israel. And I think of the history of Israel concerning the
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Babylonian captivity. There's other commentators that may think different of this, but I really believe, first of all, we see the 40 years that they wandered in the wilderness in circles, actually going in circles.
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And here we see the children of Israel in the Babylonian captivity and the psalmist likens the 70 years to confinement in prison.
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Could you imagine being 70 years in prison? That's basically a lifetime. So Babylon was like a dark, gloomy dungeon.
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Notice it was because of the rebellion that God allowed them to go into the
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Babylonian captivity to discipline them. To bring them judgment.
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They're spurning. They spurned His holy word. They were sent off into exile.
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They were crushed. They were beaten down by hard labor. And the scripture says they fell down.
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In other words, God humbled them. God humbled them. And how does He do this?
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He humbles them under the heavy load of a hard taskmasters. Just like 420 years when the children of Israel, before God called them out of Egypt, they were under hard taskmasters and making bricks.
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That's right, under the Pharaoh. God allowed this to happen. It was all in God's providence.
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And think of this. And they were under the heavy load. And no one took pity. And no one took their side but one.
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And the one that really mattered. And that was God. The Lord. And I love again and again.
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You cannot get enough of this. Verse 13 through 16. Then they cried out to the
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Lord in their trouble and He saved them out of their distresses. You see this time and time again. Verse 15.
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That old that man, old that man, would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for the wonderful works to the children of men.
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There's praise there. That is how we should respond to God's loving kindness.
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Psalm 86, verse 13. For Thy loving kindness toward me is great and Thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of the lowest of Sheol.
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The lowest of hell. The lowest of the grave. The psalmist even says,
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Thy loving kindness is better than life. Well third, let's move on.
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Next we observe that God recovers those who are seriously ill. He recovers those who are seriously ill.
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This is the third group of people. And many refer to the nation of Israel at this time of Christ's first advent.
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That He sends His Word. And the nation of Israel was very sick at the time.
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Now, I don't want you to think of physically sick. They were spiritually sick. They were spiritually sick.
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Think of it. It was 400 years of silence and then the Word of God came.
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And then John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, rose up and God rose him up and he was a man sent from God and he spoke and he was the forerunner of the
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Messiah. But God sent His Word. They just had been through living the trying days and I believe here, you could study this yourself and check me on this, but this is during the time of the
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Maccabees. They were so lost in sin, they strayed away far from God's truth in that time period of darkness.
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No word from God. 400 years of silence. And they literally lost their appetite for the truth.
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And for who God is and who He is. There was no word from the Lord. There was no truth being revealed for 400 years.
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Think of that. No longer. They really did not care anymore.
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And guess what rose up? Religious groups after religious groups. Somewhere along the lines between those 400 years, the
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Pharisees and Sadducees was gathering up, men starts gathering up their own religion. The psalmist says in verse 17 to 22, listen to what it says.
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Fools. He starts off by saying that. Fools. This is a different section now. Because of their transgression and because of their iniquities were afflicted.
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Their soul abhorred all manner of food and they drew near to the gates of death.
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Then they cried out to the Lord in trouble and He saved them out of their distresses. Again, we see.
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Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. He saved them out of their distresses.
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Verse 20. He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.
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Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men.
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And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.
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Isn't that wonderful? They were seriously spiritually ill. Now, don't get me wrong.
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There was a lot of starvation physically as well. We don't want to ignore that.
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But spiritually they were sick. Their soul abhorred all manner of food. They drew near to the gates of death.
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Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. God graciously again saves them out of their distresses.
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He sent His word and He healed them. In response, let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare
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His works with rejoicing. A very sick nation drawing near to the gates of death.
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Their soul actually abhorred all manner of food. You know what's interesting here?
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And I got this thought from Spurgeon's Treasury David.
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Thoughts to preachers. We see a visit to Christ's hospital here.
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I want you to think of this. And this is very, very profoundly insightful.
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Number one, we see the names of the characters of the patients. Who are they?
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They're fools. That's the patients. That's the fools. All sinners are fools.
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The fool has said in his heart, there's no God. Next, we see the cause of their pains and affliction.
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What is that? Because of their transgression. Because of their transgression.
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Third, the progress of their disease. Their soul abhorred all manner of food.
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And they drew near to the very gates of death. And fourth, we see the divine intervention of the
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Great Physician. In verse 19, notice this. Then they cried out to the Lord and know when the
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Great Physician comes when they cried out in faith. Just like blind Bartimaeus on the roadside of Jericho.
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He was a blind beggar crying out to Jesus. And at least he knew who to cry to, beloved.
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And he said, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me. And they said, quieten this man down.
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Quieten him down. He even became louder and louder. He was desperate. And he cried out the more.
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Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me. He was crying out to the Great Physician. He knew who to cry out to.
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He knew that Jesus was the Great Physician. And Jesus even speaks of Himself as a Physician. That He didn't come to heal the righteous but to heal the sick.
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And He's talking about those who are sin sick. Oh, He demonstrated it physically.
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But basically He came to be the Savior, to be the healer of the soul. Amen? What did the
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Physician do? What does the Physician do? He saved, number one. Number two, the Physician saves.
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Number two, He heals. He healed. And number three,
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He delivered. Oh, that's an outline of the preacher out there, beloved. He saved,
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He healed, He delivered. Aren't you glad we have such a great Savior as Jesus Christ?
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And how? How does He do it? The means is He sent
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His Word. God sent His Word. God the
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Father in the fullness of time was come. He sent
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His Word. Jesus was born. Isn't that wonderful? The incarnate, living
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Word of God. He healed them all. Many times in Scriptures it says that Jesus healed them all.
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Time and time again. And He Himself took our infirmities. He bore our sicknesses.
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Our soul sickness. That's the problem with this world, isn't it?
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It's a soul sickness. It's a heart issue. The whole world looks at external problems.
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Politicians. Yeah, they're corrupt. I agree. But we see the corruption and the reason why it's externally corrupt is because there's internal corruption.
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And only the great physician can heal the heart issue. Amen. Amen. Verse 21 to 22.
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Again and again the psalmist calls on men to praise the Lord for His goodness. For His wonderful works to the children of men.
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His goodness, His goodness. And as we go on through this psalm we constantly see
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God's goodness just reappear again and again and again. Amen. Look at the fourth one.
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The fourth section is verse 23. 23 through 32.
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We observe and see God's deliverance for the semen in a terrible storm.
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The last picture is the most graphic, I'll be honest with you. This is a very graphic picture. It is about semen who worked on ocean going ships out in the ocean.
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Notice what it says in verse 23 to 32. Those who go down to the sea in ships who do business on great waters.
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They see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind which lifts up the waves of the sea.
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God commands it. They mount up to the heavens. They go down again to the depths.
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Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro.
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And the reaction of these people is that they stagger like drunken men and are at their wit's end.
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Don't you love that? What happens right after they're at wit's end? Look at the turning point.
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Verse 28. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble. Makes you think of Jonah doesn't it?
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Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm.
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See God causes the storms but He calms the storms. He's sovereign is
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He not? He calms the storm so that its waves are still.
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Then they are glad because they are quiet. So He guides them to their desired haven.
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And that's a haven of rest. Amen? And then He says oh that men would give thanks to the
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Lord for His goodness. Again this is God's goodness. See notice in all that's taking place it's like God takes away and then
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He gives. He takes away, He gives. He causes the storm, He takes away the storm. And for His wonderful works to the children of man.
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Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the company of the elders.
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Hallelujah. He is worthy to be extolled in the congregation of the people is what
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He's saying. Praise Him at the seat of the elders among the peoples. You know beloved this fourth and final parable really speaks of Israel and its former plight.
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And all of humanity is well. Does it not? But it doesn't speak about our guilt.
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I thought about this. It doesn't speak about the guilt even though man is guilty before a holy
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God. But you know what it speaks of? Man's littleness.
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Man's smallness. The smallness of men.
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Notice with me very quickly. Look first the wind would come in and arise like powerful force.
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Almost like a hurricane force. And it makes me think about the picture when
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I speak about a hurricane of Key Largo.
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I think about in that picture it's an old picture made in the early 40's with Humphrey Bogart and I don't want to tell you the whole story.
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You'd have to see it sometime if you have seen it. It's a wonderful picture and it's a classic. And in that picture there's this little hotel of some honest folks gets raided by these gangsters.
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And it's a hideout. And so they take over the hotel. But there's a hurricane on its way. And the owner of the hotel which is played by Lionel Barrymore and he tells these gangsters and it's really wonderful at this point.
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He tells these wicked gangsters that they know nothing about hurricanes. They're from up north. They're gangsters.
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And they say, what happens when hurricanes come? And he tells them, oh it stands up on its hind legs and it comes in like a rushing powerful force and it just swallows them up.
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And then Lionel Barrymore goes on to say and hundreds of bodies are found washed ashore.
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Gangsters eyes are just as big as plates and saucers and he's thinking and they shudder.
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And that makes me think here that God causes the hurricane waters to just come in powerfully like a wall and waves like breakers rolling like mountains of water rolling in.
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God causes all that to happen. All he has to do is speak the word. They come down.
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It comes down and it crashes. And I don't know about you if you see today these guys out in Alaska going fishing and for these snow crabs you should see what these big ships, these huge ships are tossed to and fro like toy ships in the ocean.
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Because the ocean is so powerful and the ships are just tossed around like toys.
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That's the way the picture is here. The crest of it would shudder and come down and it crashes and the most powerful, strongest ships are like matchbox toys.
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Beloved can you think of this in a storm like that? And the toughest sailors the guys that are the menliest and the manliest and they think they're so tough and then all they can do the scripture says is stagger like a drunken man around the ship to perform their duties.
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Men is nothing. They are little and insignificant. Insignificant of the sense of sin has made them insignificant but valuable to God.
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But they they reel a terrible sense of their own insignificance and are at wit's end the scripture says.
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Even to the bottom. This is what God's doing.
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He's bringing them down. And God is showing them that He is God and we are not.
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You ever been there before? I think we have. We can all relate can't we? And we see this in verse 28 -30 see
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Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He brought them out of all the distresses. God causes the storm and He also causes the storm to be still.
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Psalm 65 -7 says who doest who doest still the roaring of the seas the roaring of the waves and the tumult of the peoples?
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Only God can. Doesn't this remind you of another story that's found in the gospels?
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Matthew, Mark, Luke and John by the way gives this account that that there was a powerful powerful storm on the sea of Galilee which storms came and turn with me very quickly to Mark chapter 4.
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Hold your place there we're going to go back there later on too. If you don't mind putting a marker there
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I got something else to bring out here too as well but notice 35 -41 on that same day when evening had come notice it's dark and He said to them and I really believe
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God Jesus allowed this to happen to teach them a lesson and Jesus says to the disciples let us cross over to the other side.
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Verse 35 chapter 4 of Mark now when they had left the multitude they took
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Him along aren't you glad that Jesus was along they took Him along in the boat as He was and the other little boats were also with Him and notice what it says in verse 37 and a great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling it was filling up with water in verse 38 but He was in the stern asleep on a pillow
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He had nothing to worry about He's the master of the sea He's the one that controls it and then they cried out listen teacher do you not care that we are perishing you could see
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Him going to Him almost like they're thinking what is He doing asleep how can He sleep in this teacher do you not care that we're perishing verse 39 and He arose rebuked the wind and said to the sea peace be still another translation says peace be quiet hush the wind ceased and there was a great calm isn't that great look in there all
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He did is speak the word and there was a great calm all
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He has to do is speak the word we're talking about the one that has all authority folks but He said to them and He gives them a loving rebuke why are you so fearful see being fearful is the opposite of faith right and then
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He tells them this how is it that you have no faith how many times have we been there and we've been fearful and Jesus says oh ye of little faith little faith and then they feared something else verse 41 they feared exceedingly and said to one another who can do who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey
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Him what manner of man is this powerful well the conclusion is verse 33 to 43 and here we see and observe the government of God's grace these remaining verses of this psalm explain to us how
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God reacts when His people are disobedient and how God reacts when they are obedient obedience and disobedience the scene opens with a landscape of beauty fertility and suddenly it changes into dry and barrenness, a barren wilderness the rivers are dried up the springs stop flowing the fields are burned and scorched and bare and the question is why, why does this happen what would be the reason for this can
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I give it to you in two words it's because of man's sin man's rebellion against God man's sin and the psalmist makes his point now
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I want you to notice this he makes the point with four illustrations here number one, there is a descending from prosperity to poverty in verse 33 and 34 two, being lifted up from barrenness to blessedness in verse 35 to 38 then three, we see the falling from the top to the bottom in verse 39 to 40 notice the paradox in verse 4, being elevated from low to high in verse 41 and 42, let's look at it we see this back in Psalm 107 33, verse he turns the rivers into the wilderness and the water springs into a dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of those who dwell in it there it is that's the reason why notice again he turns a wilderness into pools of water the paradox is there and a dry land into water springs first is disobedience then there is obedience verse 36, there he makes the hungry to dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place and verse 37 and sow fields and plant vineyards that they may harvest their fruitful harvests he also blesses them that multiply greatly and he does not let their cattle decease, when they are diminished they are brought low through oppression, affliction and sorrow let me stop right there it reminds me of these verses in Isaiah the scene changes now you could look into this but from the treasury of David in verse 34 the hint to the preacher says this, gives us the curse the cause and the cure for barrenness in the church isn't that interesting in verse 35 there's hope for decayed churches that trust in God and God alone now in verse 35 to 38, see we've seen this change but actually this picture has a counterpart of really experimental godliness doesn't it not practical holiness if you really look at it
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Isaiah 55 13 says this instead of the thorn there shall come up the cypress tree instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree and it shall be to the
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Lord look, the Lord for a name for the everlasting sign that shall not be cut off, it's all about God even the church is existing and her existence is because of the glory of God it's all about the preeminent of Jesus Christ, it's not about a preacher it's not about an elder, it's not about us, it's not about us that may hurt some people's feelings but that's the truth, it's all about Jesus Isaiah 35 1 says the wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them and listen to this, the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose like a desolate desert hot and burning and yet the rose blooms, that's the way the church is to come about in a desolate land, that's what we're living in, there's a famine in the land of hearing the word of God we are in a desolate dry land and you and I should be blossoming like roses don't you love roses?
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could you imagine the Texas rose love that little song the rose of Texas and it blossoms in the desert, it blossoms well the scene precedes prayer one scene precedes prayer and the other follows prayer a desolate wilderness before the garden then the
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Eden behind well I still got we got to go into the conclusion here, the scene is reversed in verse 39 to 41 there's a change from freedom to oppression from honor to contempt then there's a revival, there's divine intervention and by the way only
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God can give revival true revival when true change takes place and like what
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Tozer says he changes the whole moral climate of a whole community the poor and afflicted are lifted up the people bereaved bereaved,
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I'm sorry and families like a flock such are the changing scenes through which
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God's people live but yet God is unchanging such are the experiences by which they are made ready for the pure perfect eternal joys of God in heaven and is that not the way our life of sanctification is
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I don't know about you I go through those dry times I feel like I'm in a desert and I say
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Lord I need the water springs in the desert places I need the streams in the desert well the surprising turns useful, saints are comforted the sinners are silenced the satisfying of all the concerning divine the satisfying of all concerning the divine goodness of God is that not what it's about notice the closing verses the righteous see it and rejoice and all iniquity stops its mouth whoever is wise will observe these things that they will understand the loving kindness of the
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Lord notice how it ends, it ends like it begins it ends the beginning, oh give thanks to the
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Lord for His good, for His mercy endures forever, whoever is wise will observe these things and they will understand, do we understand the loving kindness of the
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Lord that is something to think about right there well how are we to respond, here's the application the best observation for us is understanding folks to understand, not just mental ascent but understanding with our heart,
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Jesus said it, he that has ears to hear let him hear and he's not talking about physical ears, he's talking about the spiritual ear, that we may perceive with our hearts and the psalmist answers the question one, two, three,
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I want to give you three, number one is given all through this chapter, cry out to the
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Lord, amen cry out to the Lord cry out to the
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Lord, what happens when we cry out to the Lord, look at Psalm 40, Psalm 40 says this,
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I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined to me and heard my cry
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God hears the cry of his people and he also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps, he has put a new song in my mouth, praise to our
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God, many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord, that's what happens, cry out to the
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Lord time and time again verse 6, verse 13, verse 19, verse 18, what it said then, then they cried out to the
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Lord in their trouble and he brought them out of their distresses Spurgeon says this, many know what this means, they have lost their way, they do not know how to find it, spiritually they are in the wilderness and they would, if they could get to the city of Jerusalem they would get to the heart of God, but they cannot that's the inability of God, I mean inability of man,
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I'm sorry, God's able we are in able we can't do it, amen they find no city to dwell in, no peace, no rest, and Spurgeon goes on to say their spiritual needs are pressing they are hungry, they are thirsty but it's a wilderness and they cannot find a morsel of food their soul is ready to faint, they feel as if they could not go another step or search another inch and to lie down and die is all they can do, almost like Elijah, but the vultures are in the air and they are afraid, even of despair and they are hard pressed but then they cried out to the
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Lord isn't that wonderful in their trouble, because people do not begin but because people do not begin to pray to God as long as they have any hope but when all hope is gone, then comes the first real living agonizing cry to heaven and no sooner is that heard and God answers it amen a second application is not only you cry out to the
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Lord, you give thanks to the Lord give thanks to the Lord, because He is good, right Psalm 34 8, oh taste and see that the
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Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in Him Psalm 25 8 good and upright is the
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Lord therefore He would teach sinners in the way sinners isn't it wonderful that God brings sinners to reconcile them back to God through the one
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Jesus Christ Psalm 33 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment the earth is full of the goodness of the
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Lord all you got to do is look around and see the goodness of God the whole earth is full of God's goodness
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Nahum 7 1 7 the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble amen in the day of trouble
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He knoweth them that trust in Him Romans 2 4 or despises thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance of long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads thee to repentance there it is what attribute leads people to repentance the goodness of God what attribute that we need to shine forth before this evil sinful hateful world that has fallen in sin, we need to shine forth the goodness of God God's loving kindness
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Romans 11 22 behold therefore the goodness and severity of God once again on them fell severity and toward thee goodness if thou continue in His goodness
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I want you to think about that we must continue in God's goodness otherwise thou all shall be cut off I don't know about you that's like a slap of cold water in my face you gotta continue in God's goodness let the redeemed of the
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Lord say so, amen the last is as important as the rest because we must tell the world about Jesus we must tell the wonderful works of God to the world now our testimony is not the gospel as R .C.
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Sproul says, but we are to testify the goodness of God and His wonderful deeds testify the wonderful works of the
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Lord I want you to look at this real quickly, John 4, go with me to John 4 very quickly, then we're going to go back to Mark Mark chapter 5 but I want to do this as brief as I can because my time is gone but you notice in verse 28 to 30 after Jesus visits the woman at the well she's a prostitute and Jesus invites her to come right in and He says, it needs be that I must go to Samaria she's a mixed breed, she's a reject and Jesus is after that one soul this is beautiful this is the master soul winner, folks and Jesus basically just tells her her life story she goes there to get water and Jesus basically starts out the conversation give me a drink of water
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I love this story but what I want you to get is this is verse 28 to 30 is her response the woman then left her water pot she left the water pot while she came to the water well she left the water pot she was so excited she went her way into the city and said to the men makes me think, here she is a prostitute shamed and she goes to the men of the city she's a mixed breed a used up prostitute and she says, come and see a man the man and I love this because in verse 29 the man, a man is capital
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M Jesus, who told me all things I ever did could this be the
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Christ could this be the Christ absolutely she turned her city upside down folks tell the world about Jesus go back to Mark 5
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I don't have time to get into this whole story but Jesus basically comes he comes from the sea after calming the storms they say behold what manner of man is this and then he came to the other side out of the sea to the country of the
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Gadarenes Gadarenes, I'm sorry and when he had come out of the boat immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with unclean spirit now you know the story, it basically says nobody in that whole community could bind this man with chains, he's possessed with legions of demons he's so powerful he's naked he's tearing himself apart nobody could hold this man in chains he's bound by chains and it says here in verse 5 always night and day he was in the mountains and the tombs crying out cutting himself with stones but when he saw
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Jesus from afar I love this, he ran and he worshipped him wow and he cried out with a loud voice and said what have
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I to do with you, these are the demons Jesus son of the most high God I implore you by God that you do not torment me they know a time of torment is coming folks, these are the demons that's possessing this man and all
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Jesus had to do, he said come out of the man, unclean spirit Jesus asked him what is your name he had to bow to him and he said my name is legion, we are many and he also begged him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country and then you know the story a large herd of pigs, swine was feeding there in the mountains and all the demons begged him send us into the swine that we may enter in they were afraid that Jesus was going to speak the word and take them to torment and at once Jesus gave them permission and then the unclean spirits went out of them and entered into the swine there were about two thousand and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea and those who fed the swine fled, they were more concerned about the pigs than the man isn't that the way it is today upside down world more caring about animals and seals and sea lions and owls and frogs than souls yeah they were told in the city and this country and they went out to see what that happened and then they came to Jesus and saw the one that had been demon possessed and had the legion sitting listen to this, sitting and clothed in his right mind and they were afraid and those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon possessed about the swine, now this is what
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I'm getting to then they began to plead with him to depart from the region look at that, get out of here, we don't want you here we lost these two thousand pigs and you ruined our money our business but not caring about this one man's soul and when he had got into the boat
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Jesus gets into the boat and who had been, and he who had been demon possessed begged him that touches my heart beloved because he begs
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Jesus that he might be with him he wanted to be by the master's side, however however
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Jesus did not permit him I'm here to tell you folks, this is why our mission is he said to him, go home and to your friends and tell them what great things the
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Lord has done for you and how he has had compassion on you oh give thanks to the
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Lord for he's good and his mercy endures forever, you see God had compassion on him go tell your friends let's go tell our friends folks let's go tell people what great things the
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Lord has done for us Revelation 12, 11 they overcame him the devil first of all by the blood of the
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Lamb and the word of their testimony don't miss that last part, and they loved not their lives unto the death that's the redeemed oh give thanks to the
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Lord for he's good for his mercy endures forever Schaefer said it well the beginning of man's rebellion against God was and is a lack of a thankful heart 1
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Thessalonians 5, 18 in everything give thanks in everything can't say that enough, in everything give thanks this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you let us pray our
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God and our Father Lord thank you for meeting with us today through your holy word thank you for this wonderful, wonderful revelation from Psalm 107
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Lord forgive us forgive me forgive each one of us
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Lord when we have murmured and complained and yet we have Jesus Christ and we have everything help us to be like this man that was demon possessed
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Lord, Lord he begged you to be by your side to be with you and yet you commissioned him to go and tell his friends the great things that the
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Lord has done for you that the Lord had compassion in you
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Lord help us to have a thankful heart of gratitude for the salvation that we have in Jesus Christ and help us
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Lord stir our hearts that we would tell this world that is dying and perishing into hell of the one that loves them and gave himself for us help us
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Lord to obey you to trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey you