The Lord Reigns! - [Psalm 93]

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Well, thank you. What a joy it is to be here with you We had a wonderful time last night and I can hardly wait for today and what the
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Lord has in store for us I just want to begin by first of all thanking Mike Avendroth and Bethlehem Bible Church for so graciously extending this invitation to me and allowing me to come be here with you and What a beacon of light this church is in this part of the world
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And as I have come to realize there are so many other churches Represented in this conference as well and other pastors.
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It's good to be with Ted Bigelow again a good friend of mine and and others that I've had the opportunity to meet.
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So if you attend Church elsewhere. I am so grateful to have this opportunity with you and really just coming together of like -minded brothers and Sisters in the
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Lord and we encourage one another and the things of the Lord is iron sharpens iron So one man another and so I just trust that today will be a time of great mutual
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Encouragement it says so much about you really that you would be here early on a
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Saturday morning and ready to receive The Word of God and it's an indication of what
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God is doing in your own life So I only desire to pour gas on the fire that is already burning within your heart and not pour water, but pour gas and That there would be an even greater passion for the
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Lord and the things of his kingdom Mike has asked me if I would speak out of the
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Psalms on the greatness of God the bigness of God the glory of God he did not have to twist my arm to do so and I'm so excited for us to have this focus during our time today so without any further delay if you would take your
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Bibles, please and turn with me to the Psalms to Psalm 93 and it's hard to know really
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Which Psalms to preach such a request. I have had the joy of preaching through all 150
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Psalms in my church I have written a two -volume commentary on the
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Psalms which has been the joy of my life and so I have had the luxury and the privilege literally of having my fingers upon every line of the
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Psalter and moving through this entire book which is the largest book in the
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Bible and To be able to teach it and to proclaim it and its effect upon my own life
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Has been life -changing and has been so Exalting of the
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Lord in my own heart and so where to jump into the ocean
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There are so many entry points and it's difficult to know how to make a selection but for our time this morning,
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I have three Psalms that I want us to consider in the three sessions and this morning
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During our first session I'd like for us to look at Psalm 93 if you are a note -taker
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Which I hope that you are the title of the psalm is found in the first three
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Words or the title the message is found in the first three words the Lord Reigns I can do no better than that for a title like to begin by reading the psalm
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Reintroducing you to it setting it before your eyes Setting it before your heart and then we will unpack its richness the
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Word of God reads the Lord reigns He is clothed with majesty
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The Lord has clothed and girded himself with strength Indeed the world is firmly established
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It will not be moved Thy throne is established from of old
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Thou art from everlasting The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their pounding waves
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More than the sounds of many waters than the mighty breakers of the sea the
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Lord on high is mighty Thy testimonies are fully confirmed
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Holiness Befits thy house O Lord forevermore
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There could be no doubt what is the central theme of this psalm The first three words of this psalm
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Announce loud and clear the big idea of this psalm. It is the absolute unrivaled
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Sovereignty of God over all the works of his hands This is the foundational truth of all theology
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This is the bedrock doctrine of all doctrines This is the immovable mountain that towers above the landscape of all scripture
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This is the Mount Everest of all truth This is declared the absolute right of God and the undisputed reign of God to govern over all
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Creation this is the first article of our doctrinal creed
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This is the chief cornerstone of all divine truth Every other doctrine must be tested by this doctrine and every other truth must be brought into alignment with this grand and glorious truth
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Herein is announced the absolute sovereignty of God namely that God is
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God Not merely in name, but in reality in the full and free exercise of all his throne rights
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This is to say when we say the Lord reigns That God always does as he pleases when he pleases where he pleases with whom he pleases and Any lesser thought of God is degrading and dishonoring of his holy name
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God alone is sovereign and none other it was
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Jonathan Edwards who proclaimed so long ago quote Absolute sovereignty is what
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I love to ascribe to God God's sovereignty has appeared to me a great part of his glory it has often been my delight to approach
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God and adore him as a sovereign God unquote
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R .C. Sproul has said that the truth of the sovereignty of God is God's favorite doctrine and Then he adds it would be your favorite doctrine if you were
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God John Piper has called the truth of the sovereignty of God the continental divide of theology and by that what he means is one drop of truth on one side of the mountain a
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Drop of truth that is man -centered a high view of man a low view of God Begins to flow down the side of that mountain into creeks and into streams and into rivers and empty into an ocean of man -centered worship and man -centered ministry and man -centered evangelism and man -centered living
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But one drop of truth on the other side of the of the mountain flows in the total
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Opposite direction it is a drop of truth that exalts and magnifies the supremacy and the
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Sovereignty of our God and it sets in motion as it flows into the minds and the hearts of his people downstreams and down rivers and Empties into an ocean on totally the other side of the globe of our thought and it promotes
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God -centered worship and God -centered evangelism and God -centered ministry and God -centered missions and living this truth the sovereignty of God is this continental divide that separates are in our thinking and clarifies and leads to a totally different approach to ministry and to living
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It is our understanding of this glorious truth that shapes everything the
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Lord reigns This is the central theme of this psalm as you no doubt see in your text
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There can be no other way to approach this verse than the
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Lord reigns It says what it says I have studied this in the Hebrew.
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Let me translate it for you Most accurately the Lord reigns Psalm 93 is an enthronement psalm
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It is one that celebrates God's sovereign kingship over all the earth and this worship song is the first in a short
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Siri Series of psalms that are clustered together. It begins right here in Psalm 93 and it extends through Psalm 99 and there is a clustering together in the gathering together of these psalms into the third book of the
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Psalter that Begins here these psalms that declare the
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Lord reigns It is repeated over and over and punctuates these enthronement psalms
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Psalm 93 1 as you see the Lord reigns Psalm 96 verse 10 say among the nations
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The Lord reigns in other words We have the same message out in the world that we have here in the house of God We preach here the
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Lord reigns and we go to the nations and we declare to them that their gods are dead
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Gods and no gods there is but one God and it is this
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God that reigns Psalm 97 verse 1 the
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Lord reigns let the earth rejoice Psalm 99 verse 1 the
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Lord reigns let the people Tremble, it would be absolutely impossible to read these enthronement psalms without understanding the central message that the throne is
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Occupied and the one who sits upon the throne of heaven is continually and constantly
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Exercising his throne rights and is Exercising his will and he is reigning in glory above To be sure
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God reigns over every realm of his universe He reigns over history and Providence.
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He reigns over nature and weather He reigns over nations and rulers.
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He reigns over life and death He reigns over Circumstances and events he reigns over prosperity and adversity
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He reigns over salvation and damnation He reigns over the eternal destinies of all men the
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Lord reigns Now as we look at this psalm this morning,
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I want you to see its three essential parts I want to lay out this psalm for you
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You will note the first stanza is in verses one and two and you will note that there is some white space after verse
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Two before verse three and that is to separate the stanzas and in verse verses one and two
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I want you to note the sovereign reign of God the sovereign reign of God and then in verses three and four the sinful rebellion of Man set in juxtaposition
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Against the sovereign reign of God and then finally in verse five the sure revelation of God So let's begin where the psalm begins in the first stanza verses one and two and the first main
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Heading that I draw to your attention is the sovereign reign of God Look at it again as this psalm
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Announces the Lord reigns it is in the emphatic position it is moved to the very first words of this psalm to underscore its message to bring into focus this
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Central fact the Lord reigns as I said in my introduction It is the most foundational and the most fundamental
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Truth of all in all the world that God is and that God reigns
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God is that is the existence of God God reigns is the exercise of his
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Godhead, it's the first article of our faith. It is the ultimate reality of all that we believe
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Psalm 103 verse 19 the Lord is has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty reigns overall
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What this means is by his? Sovereignty that God has absolute authority and rule over all his creation and he exercises that authority
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Sovereignty is an attribute of deity without which God could not be
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God Webster defines the word sovereignty this way listen to this
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Above are superior to all others chief greatest supreme supreme in power supreme in rank supreme in authority holding the position of ruler
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Independent of all others unquote This is what it means
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For to declare the sovereignty of God and it is not a doctrine up for debate
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It is not a truth to be negotiated It is a doctrine to be declared and to be announced the
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Lord reigns Now I want to give you some words that will help break out verses 1 & 2
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Regarding the sovereign reign of God. I want to give you some adverbs that will describe and articulate and Designate the sovereign reign of God as I look at these two verses
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Let me give you these distinguishing marks of his reign number one the
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Lord reigns Exclusively Exclusively note what this says?
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The Lord reigns No one else is reigning The Lord reigns, would you please note
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Satan is not reigning He is the God of this age and he is the prince of this world
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But he is a subordinate lesser God small G There are many today who are in different Movements within the body of Christ and as you listen to them pray and as you listen to them preach
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You would think that Satan is sovereign Every illness is attributed to Satan every difficulty is attributed to Satan every act of poverty is attributed to Satan there is a demon behind every bush and you would think that Satan is omniscient and Omnipresent and that Satan is ruling and reigning, but I want you to know that is a lie this text declares who is exclusively reigning
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Luther said the devil is God's devil Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world my friend
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This world is not a struggle between two co -equals It's not even a fair fight the
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Lord reigns Exclusively, would you please note? This does not say the
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Lord and Satan reign Would you please note this does not say circumstances reign
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Neither does this say man reigns? Neither does this say
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God and man reign Neither does this say luck reigns, please do not tell me as I leave in Tomorrow and go to to be elsewhere.
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Good luck That is a pagan lie It is a pagan myth
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Fate is not reigning Luck is not reigning. There is only one who is reigning.
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It is the Lord Almighty The Lord is reigning exclusively 1st
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Timothy 6 verse 15 says That God is the blessed and only
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Sovereign what part of the word only do you not understand? the blessed and only
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Sovereign no one is his cop copilot No one else is even in the cockpit
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He alone is running and leading this entire universe
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So the Lord reigns Exclusively second the Lord reigns
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Constantly, would you please note the verb tense here the Lord reigns?
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It is in the present tense. The Lord is always reigning This does not say well the
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Lord wants reigned long time ago when things were going well
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Neither does this say well one day the Lord will be reigning if we can just hang in there until the second coming of Christ Then the
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Lord will take over and then the Lord will exercise his sovereignty No, this says present tense right now every moment of every day.
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The Lord does constantly and continually reign the first Reality that struck the
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Apostle John when he was taken up into heaven The first thing that he noted was there is a throne
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Standing in heaven and one seated upon it during the hour of the great persecution of the church and difficulty under the imperial might of the
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Roman Empire Yet John was given an eternal perspective and even in man's darkest hour
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God is enthroned in the heavens and is governing over all
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God reigns the Lord reigns exclusively the Lord reigns Constantly third the
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Lord reigns actively Reigns that is an active verb
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He's not passively Watching God is not a mere spectator from heaven wringing his hands pacing back and forth
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Wishing to put into play his plans here upon the earth, but does actively
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Initiate and carry out his government and his supreme authority overall
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Ephesians 1 verse 11 says he works all things according to the counsel of his will
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Romans 8 verse 28 is still in the Bible and he causes all things to work together for our good deus long ago and Deus still to this day
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Said that the Lord was the proverbial clockmaker that he made this world like a clock and he has wound it up and then has now
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Withdrawn from his creation and he has left all Circumstances and all events to to go its own way and that God never intervenes and God never steps in God has created but God does not control
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This text refutes that the Lord reigns. Not only does he reign actively he reigns
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Irresistibly this just says the Lord reigns There are no boundaries placed upon God's reign
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There are no designated areas off limits to his reign
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He reigns everywhere over nations and over nature over events and over Circumstances over good people and over evil people over all the hearts of men
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There are no random events. There are no mere accidents. There is no luck
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There is no fate there is there are no chance occurrences
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God is reigning and God Ultimately is over all the works of his hands number five the
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Lord reigns Majestically, would you please note in verse 1 the Lord reigns?
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He is clothed with Majesty that speaks of his kingly glory and his regal splendor in ancient times
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Monarchs went to great lengths to enhance the impression of their greatness and they would surround themselves in their throne rooms with those things that would heighten the impression of their of their kingship and so they would be decked in purple and surrounded by Attendants and their throne would be elevated so that all who would come before their ancient throne would be struck and impressed with the magnificence of their
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Sovereignty and yet that is absolutely less than nothing when compared to the infinite and exponential sovereign reign of our
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God Isaiah entered into the temple and in a moment the veil was pulled back and he was allowed to see into Heaven's throne room and he saw the
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Lord high and Lifted up and saw him surrounded by the seraphim who are crying out.
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Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty Heaven and earth is full of his glory this describes the regal garments worn by a victorious
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King after a decisive victory as the Lord reigns he reigns in Splendor and regal attire and Majesty and dignity and grandeur and stateliness
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Sixth he reigns powerfully he reigns powerfully note in the second line of verse 1 the
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Lord has clothed and girded himself with strength he has a tired himself with Omnipotence he has not derived it from anyone else or anything else.
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No one else adds to his strength No one has to lend their support to God God has clothed himself with this strength and so his
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Majesty is no empty show of Sovereignty the impression that he gives us of his majesty is not a false
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Impression it conforms with the reality of who he is and he possesses all
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Strength to carry out his reign Therefore no one can resist the free exercise of his supreme authority
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As he reigns it is an unhindered reign
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Psalm 115 verse 3 which we will look at later this morning says But our
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God is in the heavens listen to this he does Whatever He pleases he does all that he pleases when he pleases as he pleases and Heaven is not run by democracy
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Heaven is run by Theocracy and There is only one deciding vote and it belongs to God himself
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He does not consult us on how things should be run Read the book of Job at the end of the book.
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Oh Where were you Job? I seem to have forgotten when you and I created the whole world and Job is reduced to putting his hand over his mouth and Saying I have nothing else to say
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Seventh God's Sovereignty is an immutable Sovereignty in the third line of verse 1 we read indeed.
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The world is firmly established It will not be
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Moved God has put everything into its right and proper place and there it is fixed and there it is
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There it remains God has put into place the planets and the galaxies the Sun the stars and the earth the dry land and the mountains and the seas the laws of gravity and the moral laws and the standard of absolute truth and holiness and there it is fixed and there it is unalterable because God is immutable in his
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Sovereignty God is not second -guessing himself. God is not keeping his options open
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God is not moving from plan a to plan B. Maybe we'll try something new in this generation
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Maybe we'll try plan C No, God is not amending his plans
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God has had one eternal purpose and one eternal decree from all eternity past and God is
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Immutable in his sovereignty in carrying this out psalm 33 verse 10 and 11 the
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Lord nullifies the council of the nations all of the nations together can come with their counsel and they can set their plans in motion and God but blinks his eyes and he
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Nullifies all of the council of all of the nations and says no my plan
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Which I have established shall be carried out He frustrates the plans of the people the counsel of the
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Lord stands forever the plans of his heart from generation to Generation.
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I want to tell you there is no plan B There is no plan C. We have no frustrated deity upon his throne
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God is immutable in his sovereignty and there's a last
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Adverb that I want to give to you to describe this sovereign reign of God.
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He reigns exclusively constantly actively irresistibly majestically powerfully immutably and eighth now
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Eternally Eternally look at verse 2 note what this adds to the reign of God thy throne is established from of old
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Thou art from Everlasting question for how long has
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God been reigning? Answer always
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He has never assumed his throne. He will never step down from his throne
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He will never be impeached Your throne is established from of old.
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He is no upstart sovereign You are from everlasting.
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We understand what that means. Do we not let's not pretend this morning We understand that this means that from all eternity past from before time began from before the foundation of the world
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When there was God and God alone when there was God and God only
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God was ruling and reigning and Nothing has changed and nothing will ever change for he is the one who was and who is and who shall be forever and as God reigned before there was anything
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So he does reign today while there is everything and he shall reign throughout all eternity future his reign is an eternal reign
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Isaiah 43 verse 13 Even from eternity I am he
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Now I want you to turn with me just for a moment to Ephesians chapter 1 and I want to direct our attention to so what happened in eternity past as God laid out his purposes and God laid out his plan and I want you to know that God is a master architect as He is an absolute sovereign and God before he created anything
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God drafted and God determined his purpose and his plan for all time and This plan is so precise and it is so perfect It includes the very numbering of the hairs of your head
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It is a plan that includes the falling of every sparrow It is a plan that records the casting of the lot and it's every turning up is from the
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Lord It is a plan that includes the coming and the going of the weather
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It was an all -inclusive Plan and Nothing was left the happenstance
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Now there is a verse in chapter 1 that I want to draw your attention to it is a verse that is often overlooked as we
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Turn to Ephesians 1 we so often as we consider the sovereignty of God are riveted upon verse 4 and upon verse 5 that just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world and verse 5 he predestined us to adoption as sons
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That sometimes we never make it to verse 11 And I want to draw to your attention verse 11
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And there are four key words that I want us to consider in verse 11
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I want to begin at the end of verse 10 in him verse 11
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Also, we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined
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According to his purpose who works all things
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After the counsel of his will now we need to understand there is nothing outside The counsel of his will
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There is nothing that occurs Outside the counsel of his will not note what this says verse 11
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He works all things after the counsel of his will now the four key words that I want to draw to your attention
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Are these? Predestined Counsel will
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And purpose Predestined counsel will and purpose. Do you see them draw a box around those four key words?
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And I want to tell you what happened in eternity past and eternity past there was simply God and God alone
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There were no angels. There was no man There were no planets There was no galaxy.
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There was no universe There was just God just God and God came together with himself
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God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and I want to line up these four words now for you and show you the succession in Which they unfold?
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The first is the word counsel Did you see the word counsel in verse 11?
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It's the Greek word boulay It means a divine Deliberation It speaks of inner trinitarian consultation they counseled with each other omniscience counseled with omniscience and wisdom counseled with wisdom and there was an eternity past if you will an inner
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Trinitarian board meeting father the Son and the
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Spirit were the only three to sit around the table and there they consulted with each other and there they reflected with each other and the epicenter of their consultation and their divine deliberation would be what would most promote their own
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Glory the second word is The word will out of their counsel came their will the
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Greek word Thalema Which means a divine? decision after the deliberation in Which they considered every conceivable
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Possible plan they could have made the sky purple and the grass red
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They could have had you born 4 ,000 years ago. They could have had you never to be born.
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They considered every possible conceivable plan that there could have been with infinite precision and infinite delicacy
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They then arrived at their decision their one will and with their will they made a choice and With this choice it was an all -inclusive
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Choice notice verse 11. It says he works all things after the counsel of his will it is an
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All -inclusive will it is a will that would include heaven and hell
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It is a will that would include elect angels and fallen angels It is a will that would include
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Lucifer becoming Satan It is a will that would include the elect and the non -elect.
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It is a will that would include Salvation and damnation it is an all -inclusive will
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Then the third word is purpose Prothesis This is his divine determination after his counsel came his will and After his will came his purpose and God purposed and resolved to execute his will
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Nothing would hinder and nothing would thwart him from the execution of his singular will and it is with purpose meaning with resolve and Determination that cannot be thwarted and cannot be turned back
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God now advances out of eternity past and has sworn by Himself that he will carry out and carry forward his eternal will
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Then the fourth word in verse 11 is the word Predestined we call it in the
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South the P word predestined pro or idzo
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Which means divine? decree and by predestination
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God pours concrete into his eternal will and he guarantees by predestinating that he will
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Execute the entirety of his will that arises out of his counsel pro or idzo in the
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Greek Pro meaning before or idzo. You can hear the English word
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Horizon or idzo and as a man would go on a journey the horizon spoke of the destination far off on the horizon
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Would be the destination of his journey pro or idzo means predestined or the destination is
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Determined before the journey began Aren't you glad that God is not making this up as he goes?
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Aren't you glad that for all of us when we all pray that God has one
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Master plan and one master purpose Aren't you glad that when I pray
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I'm not pushing down on the gas and you're pushing down on the brake and we are just Canceling each other out and God doesn't know which prayer to answer
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That God has an eternal purpose an eternal will and an eternal counsel and an eternal predestined plan by which with perfect wisdom and infinite genius
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God has designed the one plan that most promotes his glory that most exalts his name that most brings praise to his beloved son the
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Lord Jesus Christ and so the Lord reigns and He has reigned from all eternity past and before the foundation of the world
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God counseled and God willed and God purposed and God predestined and so now we are a
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Part of something that is far bigger than any one of us. It is grander than any one of us.
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It is transcendent It is overarching in Ephesians 2 verse 10.
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It says that he has Prepared good works for us to walk in God has has already gone ahead of us and God has already marked out our future
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And God is a good God to his people and he has chosen that which most glorifies himself and which is most for the good of his people and so therefore you are riding a wave of Destiny there is a sense of destiny about every step that you take every day that you live
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God has eternal purpose for you that he is carrying out.
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This is what it means the Lord reigns I Want you to come back to Psalm 93
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So in Psalm 93 when the psalmist writes the Lord reigns
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It is the master truth from before time began that continues to be overarching and overshadowing over the entirety of all of the works of his hands and There will never be deviation and there will never be detour
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From what he has purposed within himself for this earth
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The Lord reigns This is the sovereign reign of God Now I want you to note second in verse 3 the sinful rebellion of man
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And I want you to know that man does not like to hear this truth Man wants to be in charge
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Man wants to call his own shots man wants to be the captain of his own soul and There is nothing that provokes the carnal flesh and mind more than this truth
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That God has established his throne in the heavens and that God reigns overall so note in verse 3 the sinful rebellion of man to the reign of God and as I read this let me tell you to be saved and to be a believer is to come to the place of submission of the reign of Christ and the reign of God over your life and to be unconverted and to be unregenerate is simply to continue in resistance against this supreme authority of God So in verse 3 we see depicted for us the sinful rebellion of man note in verse 3
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The floods have lifted up a lord the floods have lifted up their voice
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The floods lift up their pounding waves. This is repeated three times
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Intentionally for effect you see it the floods have lifted up the floods have lifted up the floods lift up it is to underscore and to emphasize and to draw to our attention that there is a great uprising that is
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Communicated here and it is in the superlative degree not once not twice
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But three times like holy holy holy Holy holier holiest
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The floods have lifted up the floods have lifted up the floods lift up This is the greatest uprising
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That has arisen Against the sovereignty of God and it has always been this way
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Notice the first three lines of verse 3 are in the past tense The third line is in the present tense
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The floods have lifted up the floods have lifted up the floods
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Lift up and the floods will always lift up their pounding waves
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Now there are two ways to take these floods That are in the midst of their fomenting and their uprising
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Against the sovereign reign of God one is to take it literally the other is to take it literally figuratively
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Now it is possible to take these floods to represent actual water h2o the natural order of God's physical creation over the seas and over the rivers and over the oceans and over the waves picturing nature itself
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And I want you to know that Even nature is under the sovereignty of God and God in his goodness
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I believe for this conference has withheld the 15 inches of Snow that was to come in his goodness so that we could come together
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But there is also another way to take it and I think it is the correct way to take it as The psalmist so often employs figures of speech as the psalmist paints pictures upon the canvas of our mind as the psalmist uses so many metaphors and Analogies as he writes in Hebrew poetry if this can also be taken to mean and I believe that it is it is a
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Symbol here of the angry floods and the angry waves beating and pounding against the coastline a symbol of the chaos and the restlessness and the disorder of mankind
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Isaiah for example takes it this way in Isaiah 17 and verse 12 alas the uproar of many peoples
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Who roar like the roaring of the seas? the rumbling of nations
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Who rush on like the rumblings of many waters?
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Unquote we understand what that means. We understand when we read the book of Revelation in Revelation chapter 13
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There is a beast who arises out of the sea We don't believe he's a part of the scuba team in the last days
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We understand what God is saying to us then out of the chaos of the nations and out of the unrest of the angry waves of the peoples there shall be spewed forth on to the beach a beast a man who will arise the man of Sin the man of perdition.
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I believe that that is what is taking place here in verse 3 It is not a commentary on the weather fighting back against God but rather this is a symbol of sinful rebellion of man and the nations and the people and their unbelief
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Rising up against the Lord's reign and how strange it is
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To us that in the sovereign reign of God he has designed
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That there would be this allowance for the departure of men
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Away from his standard and trust in him It says in Acts 14 verse 17 that he has permitted the nations
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To go their own way It is sovereign grace that has intervened and has rescued us
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But for the rest he has merely Permitted them to go their own way
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Franz Delitz the Hebrew commentator writes of this verse quote the sea with its mighty mass of waters with the constant unrest of its waves with its ceaseless pressing against the solid land
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Foaming against the rocks is an emblem of the Gentile world
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Alienated from and at enmity with God Unquote is that not what we see when we turn on cable news?
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Is that not what we see when we pick up USA today? Is that not what we see when we get into our cars and we drive around?
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We see a world that is gone mad and insane in its rebellion
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Against Almighty God these floods typify the rebellious uprising of man's sinful flesh against the supreme sovereignty of God but such rebellion against God's reign is absolutely in sane
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Sin makes you stupid So notice verse 4
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More than the sounds of Many waters there is something that is greater than these waves
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That are pounding against the rocks of the coastline more than the sound of many waters
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Meaning more than the roaring of man's own Autonomy to rise up against the reign of God More than the sound of many waters than the mighty breakers of the sea more than the proud efforts of man to drown out the supreme authority of God notice the end of verse 4
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Here is what is more than the sound of many waters Here is what is greater than the mighty breakers of the sea the
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Lord on High is Mighty God has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty reigns and rules overall and those
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Pounding waves cannot even begin to touch the supreme throne of God in the heavens and as those angry waves
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Pound against the rocks How much do those rocks move
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They are not even Affected the waves are dashed
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The waves are disseminated the waves are crushed and shattered
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But the rocks of the coastline remain firm and immovable and stand unaffected this is the sovereign reign of God over the powers of man and nature
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Turn back to Psalm 2 for just a moment Psalm 2 We see intentionally depicted in Psalm 2.
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I believe this very passage in Psalm 93 Psalm 2 is intentionally placed with Psalm 1 at the beginning of the
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Psalter They were not the first two Psalms to be written Psalm 90 was the first Psalm to be written yet It is placed later in the
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Psalter Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 Stand really as the two guards of the entire
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Psalter for all who will enter into the book of Psalms These are the two attendants
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These are the two guards who stand at the beginning of the book of Psalms and Psalm 1 says that there is the way of the godly and there is the way of the wicked and all who enter into the house of God to Worship must know that there are only two paths in life
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And there is the path of the godly the blessed man who puts his faith and who puts his trust in the message of the word
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Of God and there is the way of the ungodly and the way of the ungodly will not stand and it will perish
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Psalm 2 becomes an exposition and an elaboration upon the way of the ungodly and These two
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Psalms are evangelistic These two Psalms draw a straight line in the sand and says that all of mankind and all of Humanity stands on one side or the other of the aisle
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And so we read in Psalm 2 of the insanity of Of the carnal mind and the insanity of the of the reprobate heart to rise up in its rebellion against Almighty God we see depicted here in verses 1 through 3 the floods rising up the floods rising up and We see in verse 4 the solid rock of divine
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Sovereignty anchored and dashing those angry waves
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Look at verse 1 Why are the nations in an uproar?
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Why are the nation? Why are the floods? rising up and it depicts the cosmic rebellion of Unconverted man against the reign of God it is ultimately depicted in the cross of Christ It is finally depicted in the last days at the time of the return of Christ But it is representative of every generation in every place
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Why are the nation's in an uproar and the people's?
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devising a vain thing Why are they conspiring? Why are they coming together in their secularism and their atheism and in their?
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Agnosticism and in their humanism and why are they networking and why are they coming together?
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And why are they agreed on this one thing that they must resist God and his moral?
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absolutes why are they tolerant of everything and everyone but they are intolerant of the unchanging reality of God and his holiness
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Why are the nation's in an uproar and the people's devising oh?
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It is a vain empty meaningless Plot that they hatch from the bowels of their hearts the kings of the earth the mightiest of men with the most at their disposal the kings of the earth they take their stand and the rulers take counsel together and Will their counsel prevail?
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Against the eternal counsel of God the rulers take counsel against the
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Lord and against his anointed the
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Messiah Meshua the Lord Jesus Christ himself who is identified later in this psalm as the
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Son of God and Here is what they say? This is the insanity of the world
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Let us tear their fetters apart. We don't want to be tied down with moral absolutes
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We don't want to be tied down with family values. We don't want to be confined to lifestyles
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We will tear apart their fetters We don't want our conscience to tell us what's right and wrong and We will cast their cords away
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We will throw away the moral law of the universe and we will decide for ourselves
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What we want to do Look at verse 4 he who sits
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In the heavens It is the laugh of derision
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It is the laugh of Recognizing the absolute absurdity
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That sinful man with all of his counsel in all of his might
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Would rise up against the supreme throne of God that is fixed and established in the heavens
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It is not the laughter of humor It is the laughter of derision derision the
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Lord laughs The Lord scoffs at them
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And then verse 5 he will speak to them In his anger
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And he will terrify them in his fury But as for me
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I Have Installed my king my anointed the
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Lord Jesus Christ and he is seated at the right hand of the
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Father on high and He has received all authority in heaven and earth
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He has authority to build his church. He has authority to send the Holy Spirit He has authority to convert his enemies.
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He has authority to overturn circumstances He has authority to answer prayer.
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He has authority to answer open a door that no man can close He has authority to Guarantee the success of the gospel enterprise through his people upon this earth until the time
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That he shall return But as for me I have installed and enthroned by coronation my son the
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Lord Jesus Christ My friend what they mean for evil God means for good and the pounding of the waves
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The angry waves of the nations do nothing to nullify the sovereign council of Almighty God God will not change his plans man's
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Council will be dashed Finally, I want you to note come back to Psalm 93
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There's a last verse in the psalm. I want to call it the sure rebel the sure revelation of God We have seen the sovereign reign of God We have seen the sinful rebellion against God and now the sure revelation of God as if to remind us that the uprising of the secular humanists the
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Uprising of the lies of men Have done nothing to alter
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The fixed word that is written in Holy Scripture. And so we read in verse 5
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That this sure revelation that you hold in your hand and that is open in your lap
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The written word of the Living God that is inspired that is infallible That is inerrant
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That is immutable the grass withers the flower fades away, but the Word of our
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God abides forever Isaiah 40 verse 8 Note he says
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Your testimonies are fully confirmed Has it not struck you odd the changing of our culture and the changing of our society?
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That what was once unacceptable now in public debate is now fully acceptable and We ask ourselves what has changed
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It is certainly not the plumb line that has been changed It is the reprobate mind that has been given over by God to all kinds of licentious sins and As the reprobate mind is given over and plunging deeper and deeper and deeper into darkness and depravity the
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Testimonies of the Lord remain fully confirmed When you come to this church, and when you go to your
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Bible teaching church, the message stays the same From week to week and month to month and year to year and decade to decade
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We do not have to change our message because the Word of God remains the same
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It is the fixed North Star for us by which we chart our course and brings the sure
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Testimony of God to our hearts notice your testimonies are fully confirmed this word for the scriptures your
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Testimonies you see that it is a word that is used 13 times in Psalm 119
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God's Testimonies it is the scripture is God's testimony It is
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God speaking It is God's voice to us. It is God's message to us when the
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Bible speaks. It is God testifying to us and this word for testimony it dot it is a word that means quote the outspokenness of scripture
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With its high standards and frank warnings As well as its faithful and true witness
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Unquote God has not mumbled God has not given an unclear sound
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God has spoken and the scriptures are written with perpiscuity They are written with clarity
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God has spoken with abundantly clear voice It's like one man said it's not the part to the
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Bible that I cannot understand that give me the most trouble It's the part to the
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Bible that I do Understand that trouble me the most Listen God has spoken in his testimonies with abundant
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Clearness and notice they are fully confirmed meaning they will never be rescinded.
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They stand firm forever They never will fail nor falter. They will always come to pass
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And what is the effect of the ministry of his? Testimonies in the house of the
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Lord as people gathered together in the Lord's name While on the outside the nations are in an uproar and the floods are rising up Yes as God's people as we have today have come together
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What is the effect of the testimony of God that the Lord reigns upon his people at the end of verse 5?
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We see what the word produces like produces like the
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Holy Bible produces holy living holiness
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Befits your house. Here is the result of the ministry of God's Word in God's house to God's people
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It imparts to us holiness John 17 17. Thy word is truth sanctify them by the truth
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Ephesians 5 verse 26 talks about the washing of water that brings about purity and cleansing to our hearts
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This is the effect of the ministry of his Testimonies and the house of the
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Lord and out in the world. There are the lies and the deceptions of the angry waves
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But in the house of the Lord you hear a different voice
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This is the place where you hear the truth
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This is the place where you hear the eternal perspective
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This is the place where you hear How it really is
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And he concludes Holiness befits your house.
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Oh Lord. How long will this effect be in God's people? How long will the truth be embedded in their soul?
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Here is the perseverance of the Saints Which is the perseverance of the
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Spirit and the perseverance of the scripture? That brings about the perseverance of the
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Saints It is the Ongoing effect of the ministry of the
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Word of God in the lives of God's people. It is a holiness That goes on forever more
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He who has begun a good work and you shall perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus and it shall go on forever and ever as You will enter into your glorified state and stand faultless before this supreme throne in Heaven and you will fall on your face and you will cast your crowns and You will declare all
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Hail the power of Jesus name Let angels and prostrates fall bring forth the royal diadem and crown him
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Lord of all We will crown him with our praises For he has already crowned with a sovereign diadem and in his right hand is a scepter of righteousness
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And as he speaks he speaks with the sound of many waters His face is shining as the noonday
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Sun His feet are glowing as in burnished bronze His hair is white as snow
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He is the one who is the resurrection and the life He is the one who is the sovereign head over the church who says
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I will build my church and the gates of Hades and the uprising of the angry waves
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Will not prevail against my work and God's people said
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Amen let us pray father.
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We are overwhelmed with the magnitude
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And the awesomeness of who you are We barely can even begin to comprehend
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The height and depth and breadth and length of your eternal being
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We cannot even begin to get our arms around you You are so high and lifted up and we gladly humble ourselves and remind ourselves that you are forever our sovereign king and We are your sons and your daughters we are your servants and your subjects and We desire to Glorify your name upon the earth we find our greatest joy, and we find our greatest privilege in knowing you and Worshipping you and in adoring you and I pray
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God that even today You would illumine and enlighten our minds and our hearts that we might grasp yet even more something of the totality and the magnitude of Your infinite greatness and glory and grandeur
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We ask God for you to put your glory on display Before the watching eyes of our heart and may we be overwhelmed with a sense of awe
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Regarding your eternal holiness We pray this
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So grateful That you have had favor and mercy upon us
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Thank you that you have snatched us as a brand out of the fire you have rescued us when we were perishing in the angry waves and You have saved us and delivered us and set us upon a high rock and you have put a new song within our heart
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And many will hear it and be glad Thank you in Jesus name