FBC Morning Worship Service

Well, we welcome you all this morning in the house of the Lord here at Faith Baptist Good to see you and good to be in the house of the

Lord. Amen Amen, and Before we open them with the call to worship in Psalms.

I want to just go over a few announcements want to Encourage you to stay after the morning service

We do this is the last excuse me. Next week is the last week for our fellowship.

That would be In the fellowship hall, that is our lunch or our after morning service service

And then we'll be going after next week with the week after that. We'll be going into the evening service at 7 p .m.

Excuse me at 6 p .m But afterwards this this this morning we have the fellowship if you have a lunch that you want to bring

Bring it if you have a lunch that you don't have You could probably there's plenty of food to spare.

Usually there's some to go around you can go to McDonald's or one of those your favorite fast -food place and bring some back here or go home and eat but come back to the

Afternoon service at one o 'clock. We do welcome the burnets here this morning. Ron has been pastor of For many years and he's been here on occasion and we're glad to have him back on this occasion

Looking forward to the morning message and afternoon as well and Appreciate that what we've heard already this morning from brother

Foreman and in Sunday school and welcome all the visitors we have this morning and I hope that you will

Enjoy the service as we worship and praise God together. We do want to mention that There is a quarterly business meeting after the afternoon service and next week

Excuse me. And I also want to mention in your bulletin to the YMSA The Foreman's are heading that up and it'll be on May 2nd that is the

The young marrieds and singles it'll be the first time that we've Started that and many of you are looking forward to it if you they do have

I think a yellow insert in your bulletins and for those that Would qualify married singles or young?

couples and so forth Fill that out so we can you get that get a head count and turn that in you would for details there and also that starts

Each month will be hopefully you'll be inviting people over to your home and To do that.

That's the fellowship. Also, that's going to be starting at that time as well and Invite others to your home for time in the word and prayer and developing friendships

Also, May 8th. We have a workday. So I encourage you to come and share in some of that Joyful work of the

Lord in the house of the Lord and we have some things to do and Many hands make light work as they say

May 16th prepare for Scott will look at will acquit. He's one of our missionaries that we support

He'll be here for the morning service Says in Psalms 9

Verses 1 and 2 I will praise thee. Oh Lord with my whole heart. I Will show forth all my marvel.

Oh, excuse me. I will show forth all thy marvelous works I will be glad and rejoice in thee.

I will sing praise To thy name. Oh thou most high Let's take our songbooks and turn to number 230 230 230

Glory to his name. Let's all stand together, please and sing all four verses together. Glory to his name 230

Down at the cross where my Savior died Down where for cleansing from sin

I cried There to my heart was the blood of life glory to his name

Glory to his name Glory to his name

There to my heart was the blood of life glory to his name

I Am so wondrously saved from sin Jesus so sweetly abides within There at the cross where he took me in glory to his name

Glory to his name Glory to his name

There to my heart was the blood of life glory to his name

Oh precious fountain that saves from sin. I am so glad I have entered in There Jesus saves and he keeps me clean glory to his name

Glory to his name Glory to his name

There to my heart was the blood of life glory

Come to this fountain so rich and sweet Cast thy poor soul at the

Savior's feet Plunge in today and be made complete

Glory to his name Glory to his name

Glory to his name There to my heart was the blood of life glory to his name

Please remain standing for prayer brother Kevin Hammond. Would you lead us, please? Let us pray

Thank You Lord again that we can come into your house and worship you Thank you for this past week and All the blessings and all the answered prayer

Lord We pray for those Lord that can't be with us pray your healing hand upon them And bring them back soon

Lord. Pray that you would your word would touch our heart and our minds today

Lead and guide and direct us. Oh Lord. Just pray this in Jesus name Amen may be seated

Thank You Kevin and The scripture reading for this morning is on the back of your bulletins.

Hope you all have one Psalms 130 anyone need one does not have one raise your hand, please.

We'll get you. There's one up here so that someone can get him a Bulletin if you would for scripture reading right up here this gentleman right there behind Margaret Anybody else

Psalms 130 follow along as as I read Out of the depths.

I have cried to you. Oh Lord Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications

If you Lord should mark iniquities Oh Lord who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord my soul waits and in his word I do hope my soul waits for the

Lord more than those who watch for the morning Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

Oh Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is abundant redemption

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities May the

Lord have blessing the reading of his word Turn in your hymnals to number

Two hundred and thirty -seven at the cross We'll sing all four verses together to 37 at the cross

And did my savior bleed and did my sovereign

That sacred Power At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart

It was there by faith. I received my sight and now

I am happy all the day Was it for crimes that I sing

Grace unknown and love Was there but I received my sight and now

I am happy all the day Well might the

Sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in When Christ At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and My heart rolled away

It was there by faith I received my sight and now

I am happy All the day But drops of grief can

Repay the debt Myself away

It is all that I can Set the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart all the way

It was there by faith I see my sight and now

Good singing Few announce a few announcements not

I guess not announcements But before we go to prayer I want to mention a few things first. I want to let you know that pastor and Chris are having a good vacation on the last

I heard from them they mentioned that in this morning at before Sunday school that when pastor

Called me he earlier in the week. He was there in Arizona and in those canyons you know where you can get down to look up at the massive formations of the remnants of the of the of the creation flood carving out those magnificent Formations and enjoying the weather

He said I'm not gonna mention to you that it's 75 degrees and sunny and pleasant I'm not gonna

I know don't want to rub that in Jim, but it's 75 degrees sunny and pleasant I said well, thanks not mentioning to me because it was pretty chilly up here then but I'm glad that they're enjoying the weather

Enjoying the time and the time of rest and relaxation seeing part of God's creation together

We missed them and I know they're watching and listening on Online and Look for them to return soon.

Do you want to mention before we go to prayer? I've been praying for Jodi and She is stable

But certainly continue to pray for her she is She's not out of the woods and Of those who have had it here even in this church.

She is really has it Bad, but the God is a it's a healing

God Balm and Gilead and he can raise her up. We pray that and we do thank

God for Improvement and many had quite a few here really that have been struck by the kovat

Bob Jody's wife of a husband is recovering and doing well very weak

Was talking to brother Eric this morning and he is as well he glad to see him back and But still the effects linger on and it does sap one of strength and That takes a while my daughter

Abigail who's in Utah had it. She's only 40 years old. That was two months ago.

I believe and Her 40 42 42 Wow, I didn't think

I was at old makes me feel older and she is still feeling the effects of that and Just this is some kind of a virus and so pray for a

Ben as he's improving Bob Baruda is back from the hospital as well from Kovat and Pray for her and Jimbo as they

Need that strength Kevin's dad is doing better Is that and that's

Richard as he's out of the hospital, right? Still in the hospital pray for Kevin's dad

Richard as well So we also want to remember the

Hammer Meisters there are missionaries for the week They're in British Columbia and Had a few requests

Darren's health he has chronic back pain and he needs surgery, but he's

Struggling in the ministry until that happens but seems to have a joyful spirit in the

Lord reading his missionary letters and The services that They're really closed down because of kovat still they do a lot of online teaching and services and so forth

There's of course always a need he says for spiritual growth in the people and it mentioned one family in particular that For them but and Also encourage you to help yourself to the missionary letters out there

And you have more detail on the Hammer Meisters and other missionaries that we support as well in the foyer

Also for they they ask prayer for committed families to join in and Also that their support level is presently at 50 %

The missionaries need 100 % when they're on the field or close to it 50 % so and and I was thrilled to That our church increased their support just recently but pray that their support would come in as well as they serve the

Lord there Also, I guess there's um, oh it went to to also pray for for Kent Foster Kent is on our prayer list all the time should be on yours every day and his needs, you know his needs and and his struggles physically and That Laurie also his

Wife would and they work together they have strength for the day and and that God would continue to to bless that family as a look forward to That time when he can have that organ replacement to me for his kidney as well

And don't forget our country Pray for our country the Congress the laws not one to and pastor isn't one to Get up here and politicize from the pulpit.

We but I do want to mention some of these things that have happened that can affect our church the laws of Congress that can affect the church in different ways how we minister and so forth and And so pray for our

Congress or president Pray for our police as well I say that because they are ministers of God according to Romans 13 ministers of God and I Quote from the scripture and word ministers.

There is the Greek word Deacon OS, which means servant police deputies

Sheriff's Office State Police our ministers are deacons of God appointed by God and a deacon is a

Is a servant and that's where we get the word public servant law enforcement officer is a public servant

Appointed by it by God. So we need to pray for these individuals as God has appointed them and as we see a wave of Attack against our law enforcement

Pray for them and also for the unborn In in our nation's laws as well

We do want to also mention that Harold is improving with his

Post -surgery, so pray for his healing as well. We miss them him and Linda as they

Are recovering as well. So let's bow together Before the

Lord our Father. Oh Lord God, we come to you in the name of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Who died for our sin who paid the price for our iniquity that we

Can come to you even now to the throne of God the throne of grace and mercy and truth

We thank you father for this church and do pray for many who are Suffering and going through this virus that is spread.

We thank you for those who were that you Healed and in the process of raising up again and strength

Do pray for for Jodi and Particularly to raise her up strengthen her

Oh Lord and for Baruda Richard as well and Ben and those others of father that we are part of the family here and You ask it you would strengthen them and raise them up as well pray

Oh Lord for our missionaries and hammer Meisters and British Columbia for their needs

Well, Lord, we pray that you would help Darren as he struggles with this back injury and and that you would just bless that church that you've caused them to to To be ministers unto you in that area and now we just ask that you would give them the fruits of their labors as well and for unsaved for family those that are

Members of spiritual growth and that you might supply their needs even their support level father we

Thank you for our country and the foundation upon which it stands even the laws of our nation upon God's laws even our

Our police law enforcement we pray for them Oh God that you might turn these things around that are meant to be according to your word for our

Congress and and our president that That make the laws and may men and women this in the nation's people realize of the importance of of our elections and putting people in a position that That do make our laws.

Oh Lord. We do pray for those Ministers of God as well for the unborn we pray for brother

Kent and Laurie is a struggle again. We just ask that you would supply their needs and and every day as they

Look for each day To live and to serve and even to come and to be a part of this assembly as well

Thank you for our pastor and pray that you would continue to To give them rest and strength for the day and we do also ask father your blessing upon the preaching of the word this day for brother

Ron as he would come soon and Share with us the Word of God that which we desire our

Hearts and our soul and our spirit desires that which is the food from heaven the manna which feeds us

Oh God, we do. Thank you for him and his wife and their time That they would come and and share the blessings of God with us

Well, we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen Take your hymnals

Before brother Ron comes and turn to page 243 243 when

I survey the wondrous cross Sing all four verses together, let's stand once again, please number 243

Sing all four verses of when I surveyed the wondrous cross See from his head his hands

His feet Sorrow and love

Did Thrones come home

That saw

Demons my soul. Thank you.

Please be seated this time brother Ron Burnett. Would you come? Thank you

Jim It's good to be back with you folks again and it's allergy time and you might hear some of that in my voice this morning and Every once while a tear decides to come down From the eyes just not because anything sad has happened or anything

It's just the allergies out there a lot of pollen these days. It's good to be back with you

We're glad to be here. A lot has taken place and in the last several months and since we've been here and I know that many of you have here have struggled with this matter of the

COVID and I'm not sure how many families are not affected by that we have a son is a doctor and a daughter -in -law who is critical care nurse and they both have been in close proximity to working with COVID patients

Besides that my sister came down with it and her husband who had had a an aortic

Aneurysm surgery two weeks before he also came down with it and unfortunately did not survive

So that is touched our family In in a very serious way. So as it has perhaps touched some of your families as well so we continue to pray for that that situation and Trust that the

Lord will you know gracious grant his blessing his protection at this time

Vicki and I have both received vaccination But our hope is not the vaccination.

It's in it's in the Lord and So he is the one who is our our hope

Well, it's uh, I know pastor is having a good time I'm glad he didn't tell us about that 75 degree weather out in Utah I'm glad he didn't because we have enjoyed some beautiful weather down around Peoria.

It's just been really really great I've been able to get out in the yard and do some yard work get some things done there but I just have to share with you that There was a forecast since Tuesday possibility of snow

So we didn't want to hear that but I guess you have to hear the bad news, too sometimes so We're here and we're glad to glad to be with you

It's always it's always a pleasure for us to come had a nice drive up this morning very pleasant and We're looking forward to our time here

Psalm 130 this morning. That's what we want you to to go to I Said a lot of things have happened since since then

I was sitting at home one Saturday afternoon and Doing what I oftentimes do on a

Saturday afternoon. Let's watch a golf tournament and All of a sudden the door opened and then walked to my grandchildren their parents came in with them and before I know it one of our other children walked in with their family and Then all of a sudden another family walked in I had to look at them and just simply all

I could say was I Have been surprised my wife planned a birthday party for me and It was absolute surprise.

She caught me off guard. They all did and But I had a wonderful birthday and and reached the three -quarter century mark 75 and So, I thank the

Lord for 75 years and what other years he yet has for me. So I'm thankful for for that We're serving in our church

And we're glad to do that at Germantown Hills Baptist Church in Peoria actually met

Amora address, but the Peoria area and We're glad there. My pastor does ask me to preach once in a while there, too

So I appreciate pastor by his confidence and asking me to come and I do once in a while listen in on his

Watch in on his devotionals and appreciate the work that he puts into that And benefit from that well

Psalm 130 a sinner's plea Once when

Martin Luther was asked which of the Psalms he liked most He interestingly said the

Pauline ones, you know the ones written by Paul I Thought David and Solomon and Moses and some others wrote the

Psalms But he said, you know the Pauline Psalms and so someone pressed him as to which ones he meant by that and he identified them as Psalm 32 which is a confession of sin

Psalm 51 another confession of sin Psalm 130, which we'll look at today and also

Psalm 143 As for the reason for calling them

Pauline he said they taught forgiveness apart from the law and works

Forgiveness as a part of the grace of God Someone 30 is the last of the

Psalms of what we would call the Psalms of ascent It is also the sixth of the seven penitential

Psalms we find in Scripture now a penitential Psalm sometimes called a

Psalm of Confession is one in which the writer senses a deep guilt of sin a potential that penitential

Psalm Then is a sincere confession of sin and it finds the writer

Expressing the sorrow he has over the sin that he has committed the sin.

He knows he's guilty of Penitential Psalms are ones that we can probably easily identify with and Psalm 130 is one of the best

Have you ever found yourself so overwhelmed with guilt the guilt of sin

That you thought you were in deep water such deep water that you couldn't possibly get out of it if so Psalm 130 was written for you as The writer of the psalm thought that way himself and this is the account of his guilt as Well as his forgiveness

He finds himself in a difficult situation and describes it as if he is in deep waters in which he cannot his feet cannot possibly touch bottom

And he fears it in this mess. He will drown When we find ourselves overwhelmed with the guilt of our sin, do you know what time it is?

It is time for us To call upon the Lord to seek him look at verses 1 through 4

Out of the depths. I have I have cried Do you Oh Lord? Hear my voice

Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications If you Lord should mark iniquities

Oh Lord who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared

And so here's the idea of calling upon the Lord in the depth of your guilt the depth of Despair that you may be feeling and that first one is make your earnest confession to the

Lord That's verses 1 & 2 He uses the word depths here and that word is invariably used of deep waters

That are meant to describe some Overwhelming situation in your life

There's some situation that you're dealing with in the the facts of that situation

The guilt of it perhaps. It's just so overwhelming. You're not sure that you can survive that The the psalmist does not identify here what it is that has brought about this desperate situation in his life

But it is evident that it is sin that is committed when we look at verse 3

Where it says if you Lord should mark iniquities Oh Lord who could stand?

The other words used here revealed that the psalmist has for some time Actually been calling out to the

Lord as he does here in for for God to free him From from that thing that has enslaved him the thing that has bound him his plea

Is not a brief one -time request But the the language indicates that he has it has been a continuous request for some time now

So the man humbly pleads with the Lord that He God will be attentive to the words he's speaking

He earnestly asked the Lord to neither turn his ear away

From him nor to disregard his cry When we come before the

Lord in confession of sin Our heart must be as the psalmist's heart

It is earnest It is sincere It is without pretense and it is a genuine expression of his heart

When you have acknowledged your sin before the Lord so that he has forgiven you Do this this be the next thing we when you confess?

God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all in righteousness and When you have done that and you then are assured of his forgiveness

Enjoy second thing here. Enjoy the forgiveness that God grants

Again, I go back to verses 3 and 4 if you Lord should mark iniquities Oh Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you

That you may be feared Before we really understand the enjoyment of forgiveness

We need to understand the seriousness of sin. I Think with Sunday school. We learned all about that this morning.

Didn't we the seriousness of sin the House since is serious.

It is sin is no small matter As suggested by the words of Warren Wiersbe the psalmist moves from the waters of the sea

That we've seen the psalmist in in verses 1 & 2 To the courtroom now we find him in the courtroom of justice the justice of God and we should be reminded here that as the

New Testament says all have sinned and That the wages of sin is death

That is part of the seriousness of sin Not only that but sin enslaves us and it binds us

The word here to mark to mark sins means the is the idea of tracking them

You know, they've been talking about tracking the Kobe thing so forth and they're just tracking

He's just tracking sin and he God is keeping track of that He's keeping a detailed record of them

The truth of the matter is that God knows every sin that you and I have committed Nothing has escaped his all -seeing eye and The very mention of this tells us that the psalmist was not only keenly aware of his sin

But that he knew that God knew all about it

There was nothing that he could possibly hide He knew that there was a depth of depravity in his heart

Even as there is in ours and that God sees it all Nothing escapes him

He knew as we know that God has the authority and the ability to bring it all to light and if he does

We're undone We're guilty before him every one of us here should know that if God should mark our when they are our iniquity as it is if He should judge us as we are

That we would have no hope But that brings us back to the forgiveness of God The psalmist knows something of the wonderful Forgiveness of God.

He knows something wonderful about him. He knows that God is merciful

He is full of compassion He is full of loving -kindness. He has not dealt with us according to our sins

I like Psalm 103 and in verse 10 where the psalmist writes

He has not dealt with us according to our sins nor punished us according to our iniquities

When we come before the Lord The ground of our hope is not that we can justify ourselves because we cannot

Know that we have not sinned because we have and all we do is all we can do is to humbly give an honest confession of our sin and Trust in the mercy and loving of Godness of kindness the loving -kindness of God knowing

That he will forgive It's his promise if we confess Acknowledge our sin agree with him concerning our sin that he will forgive.

He is faithful and just to do that And the psalmist did not know it in the day in which he was writing as We do today

That's the Son of God when he went to the cross of Calvary Took all of our sin

Laid it on himself He bore it to the cross And there he paid its penalty and fall

And when he died his lust for his last words were to tell us die paid in full

Price paid by the blood of Christ as he hung there bearing the guilt of our sin

Forgiveness Forgiven Are some of our churches for a period of time had a campaign going on it was just simply called

Forgiveness or for forgiven. There was a track We sent out to people and and and we asked them to read the track and simply said forgiven

You know all of us at some point in time have needed to be forgiven of something And so it touched the heart of each person and in the hope was then that as they saw that that there is forgiveness

That we would have the opportunity of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them

I remember sitting down with a with a Vietnam vet one night

He was a man just really living in despair he felt such tremendous guilt because of of the fighting that he had done and there were people who were killed as a result of his fighting

We had a we had a good study on on the doctrine of sin we had a good study on on on the morality of war and And so we sat down and we finally came to this conclusion this that he had fought for his country and and so forth and therefore we felt that that you know

That was not something that was held against him. But on the other hand, even if it was We shared with him

There there was forgiveness with God You should have seen the expression on this man's face when he realized forgiven

I'm forgiving and And forgiveness is a is a wonderful word pardon set free

They're refreshing to the ear But there's one more thing that we should notice here in in this regard

It may surprise us a little bit, but we find it in verse 4 the latter part of verse 4

We there is the the matter of the the guilt of our sin. We call upon the Lord We we come before him with the guilt of our sin.

We confess we acknowledge and and he forgives And then notice what the psalmist says

That you God may be feared I Had to stop and ponder that for a while He says but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared

The forgiveness of God That the psalmist had experienced Was leading him to fear

God That is not the fear of fright but rather the fear of reverence

God freely forgives our sin Not that we may think lightly of our sin at all, but that we might magnify his mercy and So we stand in awe of him

Because though he is so holy He cannot look upon sin he's merciful and When scripture says for the name's sake it means that God who forgives might be glorified

Psalm 25 Psalm 25 just a moment in and in verse 11

It says for your name's sake O Lord Pardon my iniquity

For it is great For your name's sake he says then over in Psalm 79 and verse 9

Psalm 79 verse 9. He says

Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of your name and Deliver us and provide atonement for our sins for your name's sake

There is something to the matter when God forgives sin It it's a gift of his grace

He has given us a Savior who paid the penalty of sin and God forgives and he does all of that That he might be praised the glory of his name and and this matter of forgiveness just leads us to reverence

God When I stop and I think He has said concerning my sin

Forgiveness I cannot help but stand there in awe of who he is

Well that leads us to another thing here Well, first of all the true fear of God may back up a moment the true fear of God the true worship of him

Rest upon nothing less than his mercy That through his grace revealed in Christ we might be reconciled to God given new life but now now he leads on into something else as we look at the psalm and And I would just simply say the next thing that we do

Not only do we call upon the name of the Lord But we begin to wait for the

Lord Look at verses 5 through 8. I wait for the Lord my soul waits and In his word,

I do hope my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning Yes more than those who watch for the morning.

Oh Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is abundant

Redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities

And these last verses There are at least a couple of truths that that are put forth that I want to call our attention to we started out in the in the depths of sin, you know as if we were in deep waters and Then then the psalmist moved from those deep waters into the courtroom where God dealt with this matter of our sin and Then now here in this passage.

We we move out of the courtroom up to the the city walls

My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning For the courtroom we move to the city walls ancient cities were oftentimes

Oftentimes needed protection from their enemies And to that end they would build massive walls around their communities

And these walls were not only tall but some of them You know Some of the around the big cities were wide enough for men not only to walk on but chariots to be driven on top of them there

One could get a view of all things surrounding the community Centuries were posted at various points along the wall

So that an enemy could be seen from any direction if he was approaching from any direction he could be seen

Standing on the wall like that walking back and forth through the night could be a long lonely ordeal as the dawn of a new day approached a

Century would keep a lookout for the first streaks of sunlight to be seen I can remember in the days in which we lived in Colorado Springs and we would always take a couple of weeks to to come back to the

Midwest area and visit our parents Vicki's parents My parents we would come back to visit them.

We would leave oftentimes Colorado Springs around 330 in the morning As we drove east on I -70

Gradually, you would see the sky lightened and then all of a sudden you would see the first burst of sunlight just coming over the horizon that first burst of sunlight was was was just invigorating and and so with with the century upon the wall surrounding one of the

Israeli villages as The dawn of a new day approached the century

He kept a lookout for those first streaks of sunlight and after a long often cold

Boring night on the wall. The century was anxious for dawn to end his silent vigil and the figure of the watchman

Beautifully expresses the believers longing for God's mercy working in his life

When when the Lord saves you it is like stepping out of deep darkness into brilliant sunshine

It is the dawning of a new day. He has brought us out of darkness into his Marvelous brilliant light we are told in first Peter 2 9

Through his own example the psalmist encourages us as forgiven sinners to patiently wait as the

Lord continues now To do his sanctifying work in us

We wait upon him Psalm 27 and verse 14 says

Wait on the Lord Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait

I say on the Lord God is at work in your life

And and when he brings you to Christ and and then he saves you that's that's not the end

That's the beginning of the story You're you're you're given new life You have new life in Christ.

It's it's a new life to live and Then God begins what we call this sanctifying work in in your heart and in your life and His goal in that sanctifying work is to conform you to the very image of Jesus Christ While you wait and God is doing this work in your life that by the way the weight doesn't mean inactivity we're we're we're certainly active in in in in In the word and in serving the

Lord and and and applying the word to our life and and using just serving him that so is It's not an inactive thing.

But on the other hand All things that God is bringing into our lives

This is has his sanctifying work Well, you know we are told in Romans chapter 8 and verses 28 and 29

You know that all things work together for good to them who love God or the called according to his purpose and if you go on into the next verse in verse 29

You find out what that purpose is and he tells you that it is to conform you to the very image of Jesus Christ and so what takes place in our life is something that is serviceable or or God is doing something in us to create

Bring about more of the very spirit of Christ in our lives that we might be more like him

We wait We study the word we rest in the word and the word by the way is is filled with great and precious promises and We can count on the

Lord to keep every one of those promises. They'll not fail

When our Lord stepped out of this world, he left us with a promise that he would come again

That where he is That he would come back and he would take us to be with him that we might be with him forever

And so as we wait for him to come for us, we could trust his every word for they are not wishful thoughts

But they are certainties Things he will do Someday, perhaps when we least expect it

He will come He'll come for us Then we shall be with him forevermore but in the meantime as We wait for him to come our hope our trust is in his word

His word is is not like a book of fables or words of wishful thinking but it's as Peter tells us in his second book in Chapter 2 and verses 1 to 19 that we have a more sure word of prophecy.

I Look at chapter 1 and verses 19 and 20 love these verses

He says and so we have the prophetic word confirmed Which you do well to heat as a light that shines in a dark place

Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture is of any private

Interpretation for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the

Holy Spirit We have a more sure word of prophecy. This isn't our these are not fables.

They are not myths They are words that God has given us they are promises that our

Lord has given to us Our Lord has said in his word that that it is truth sanctify them through thy word thy word is

Truth God has given as many precious great precious promises

And the words there in the first part of chapter 1 and 1st Peter a second Peter When we says great that the idea of them could be great in in terms of their their magnitude on The other hand it can mean great in the fact that someone has estimated there are like over 30 ,000 promises of God in the word

And God is faithful to every one of them God's promises are not like promises made by the world

Which are oftentimes broken But our Lord has committed himself to keeping them one of my favorite passages is found in 2nd

Timothy and Chapter 1 in verse 12. I'm sure you know the verse and enjoy it too, but it says in verse 12

For I know Whom I have believed and I'm persuaded

That he will is able to keep that to keep what I have committed unto him against that day

So The psalmist repeats himself in the last two lines of this psalm.

Let me go back there to Psalm 130 for a moment The psalmist repeats himself and he says this in the last two verses

Oh Israel hope in the Lord for there is mercy and With him is abundant redemption and he shall redeem

Israel from all his iniquities and I must say to you first of all That that these words are written to Israel and there is a future for Israel God it will be at work within Israel there's a future for them and someday he will fulfill all of his promises that he's made to the people of Israel but the psalmist repeats the last two lines

And he says and with him is abundant redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities

Why repeat Because it is his way of telling us that his waiting for the

Lord's blessing is sure It's in it it's intense and so I'd ask ourselves this morning how intensely are are you and I waiting for the

Lord to fulfill his promises I I know that these last two verses frankly the whole psalm it concerns

Israel and I know that God has a program for for Israel But on the other hand

Jesus has said to us if I go away, I will come again

That where I am You may be there with me and that is his promise

We are living in strange days. Are we not in a country? where we're living in days in which our people who say things like No amendment to the

Constitution is absolute And I don't mean to be political this morning at all

But there are those who who don't apparently like our Constitution There are there are as we have already heard once this morning

There are bills before Congress that that will deep if passed will deeply affect the ministry of the church and the life of believers

But I would remind you Our hope is not in Politicians It isn't

Our hope is in Jesus Christ Our hope is in the Lord and he declares it.

I am the faithful God He keeps his promises He keeps him and we wait and We wait intensely for his promises to be fulfilled

So I'd ask you this one question here this morning as I close How intensely are you and I waiting?

upon the Lord for his blessing to fulfill the promises that he has made

I Don't but you but I I think he's Coming soon.

It appears that way doesn't it? I know it could be a long time yet, frankly But we live in expectation of Our Lord Jesus coming at any time in a day in time, which we don't know

So as we wait We intensely wait Holding to the promises of our

Lord Faithfully serving him until he comes

Father thank you for your word this morning thank you for the the words that the psalmist has given to us and But father we know that his words have been written to Israel and that the that they are for us as well for all scripture is is is profitable and We too profit from the reading of the

Psalms The promises that he makes and especially father we rejoice in what he has said concerning our iniquities that he forgives

That they are buried in the deepest sea That they are removed as far as the

East is from the West that our iniquities Have been cast behind your back

Where you will not see them And you have said to us I will remember your iniquities no more

There is forgiveness in you according to your mercy according to your grace

And we thank you Amen Excuse me, the closing hymn is number 346 a hymn of Invitation as well something that pastor

Burnett mentioned is that Vietnam that Vietnam vet Who had his sins forgiven that burden that he was carrying for?

decades probably of unforgiveness and the relief that he he

Had when he received Christ as his Savior and forgiveness of sin

If you are here today without Christ you have the same burden You have a burden of sin that Jesus wants to relieve from you only through forgiveness of sin so on that we're just seeing two verses of number 346 if you are not saved want to be can come forward one of us will take you aside and show you how you can be saved or At least let one of us know after the service so that you can have your sins forgiven and to live on New life for Christ.

Let's all stand together, please two verses of the first and second verse of 346 there is a way for sin to be forgiven

There is a way prepared for you and me

There is a way That leads us all to heaven Heaven that way is

Christ the sinners perfectly Look unto him

Whose power can cleanse and save your soul? Look unto him

Whose blood can set you free? Look unto him

Whose sacrifice can make you whole? Then you will know the love of Calvary and in verse 2

There is a love that passes human measure

There is a love that's brighter than the day

There is a love that's richer than all treasure

The love of Christ excels in every way

Look unto him Whose power can cleanse save your soul?

Look unto him Whose blood can set you free?

Look unto him Whose sacrifice can make you whole?

Then you will know Do we remind you that we have the afternoon

Meal and then we have the afternoon service. So stick around come back and join us for that Let's let's dismiss some prayer father again

We thank you God for the opportunity to come to worship to sing these songs of praise

Especially to give us the that you've given us the ears to hear the Word of God that which

Encourages us comforts us and at the same time Challenges us father and prayer.

If there's one here today that is in need of the Savior and you might Encourage him draw him unto you her unto you that they may know the peace and the joy that comes with knowing