but first let's take a minute and pray<\/p>\n
for we're about to read in the opening<\/p>\n
lines of this passage<\/p>\n
and You O Lord do I take refuge<\/p>\n
what a sweet<\/p>\n
what a sweet sweet phrase that is that<\/p>\n
you are a God who is Refuge to us no<\/p>\n
matter what our old year the previous<\/p>\n
year has been like no matter what the<\/p>\n
year to come is going to be like you are<\/p>\n
a refuge and we pray that you would<\/p>\n
Center<\/p>\n
our hearts and Minds on this truth today<\/p>\n
as we come to you word and we ask this<\/p>\n
in your name amen<\/p>\n
all right so let me read<\/p>\n
from Psalm 71 there there's Thai<\/p>\n
versions if you'd rather have Thai<\/p>\n
there's but there's English right there<\/p>\n
so just follow along with me<\/p>\n
silently as I read<\/p>\n
let me never be put to shame in your<\/p>\n
righteousness deliver me and Rescue Me<\/p>\n
incline your ear to me and save me<\/p>\n
be to me a rock of Refuge to which I may<\/p>\n
continually come you have given command<\/p>\n
to save Me For You Are My Rock and my<\/p>\n
Fortress<\/p>\n
Rescue Me O my God from the hand of the<\/p>\n
wicked from the grasp of the unjust and<\/p>\n
the cruel man<\/p>\n
For You O Lord are my hope my trust O<\/p>\n
Lord from my youth<\/p>\n
upon you I have leaned from before my<\/p>\n
birth<\/p>\n
you are he who took me from my mother's<\/p>\n
womb my praise is continually of you<\/p>\n
I have been as important to many but you<\/p>\n
are my strong Refuge<\/p>\n
my mouth is filled with your praise and<\/p>\n
with your glory all the day do not cast<\/p>\n
me off in the time of old age forsake me<\/p>\n
not when my strength is spent for my<\/p>\n
enemies speak concerning me those who<\/p>\n
watch for my life consult together and<\/p>\n
say God has forsaken him pursue and<\/p>\n
seize him for there is none to deliver<\/p>\n
him<\/p>\n
oh God be not far from me oh my God make<\/p>\n
haste to help me May my accusers be put<\/p>\n
to shame and consumed<\/p>\n
consumed with scorn and disgrace may<\/p>\n
they be covered who seek my hurt but I<\/p>\n
will hope continually and will praise<\/p>\n
you yet more and more<\/p>\n
my mouth will tell of your righteous<\/p>\n
acts of your Deeds of Salvation all the<\/p>\n
day for their number is past my<\/p>\n
knowledge with the mighty Deeds of the<\/p>\n
Lord God I will come I will remind them<\/p>\n
of your righteousness yours alone o God<\/p>\n
for my youth you have taught me and I<\/p>\n
still Proclaim your wondrous Deeds<\/p>\n
so even to old age and gray hairs oh God<\/p>\n
do not forsake me until I Proclaim your<\/p>\n
might to another generation your power<\/p>\n
to all those to come<\/p>\n
your righteousness o God reaches to the<\/p>\n
High Heavens you who have done great<\/p>\n
things o God who is like you you who<\/p>\n
have made me see many troubles and<\/p>\n
calamities you will revive me again from<\/p>\n
the depths of the earth you will bring<\/p>\n
me up again you will increase my<\/p>\n
greatness and comfort me again<\/p>\n
and I will also praise you with the<\/p>\n
heart for your faithfulness oh my God I<\/p>\n
will sing praises to you with the liar a<\/p>\n
Holy One of Israel<\/p>\n
my lips will shout for Joy when I sing<\/p>\n
praises to you and my soul also which<\/p>\n
you have redeemed<\/p>\n
and my tongue will talk Of Your<\/p>\n
Righteous help all the day long for they<\/p>\n
have been put to shame and disappointed<\/p>\n
who sought to do me hurt<\/p>\n
so every year we do 10 Psalms at Grace<\/p>\n
City ten Psalms and this year we usually<\/p>\n
do them all in a row we decided to split<\/p>\n
them up this year we're doing the first<\/p>\n
we're doing 71 to 75<\/p>\n
is that right did I do my math right<\/p>\n
yeah<\/p>\n
and the reason we do this well there's<\/p>\n
several reasons one of the reasons<\/p>\n
though is we believe that God's word is<\/p>\n
God's word and that that when we bow to<\/p>\n
it that when we preach it consecutively<\/p>\n
then when we when we we have these<\/p>\n
little Series where we're preaching the<\/p>\n
text as God arranged it as God put it<\/p>\n
together then um<\/p>\n
then we're helping ourselves to grow<\/p>\n
we're helping our congregation to grow<\/p>\n
but also the Psalms<\/p>\n
think about what the Psalms are for a<\/p>\n
minute really it's the song book of<\/p>\n
God's people this is where I mean for<\/p>\n
thousands of years this is what God's<\/p>\n
people have sung so and even today<\/p>\n
people still sing the Psalms<\/p>\n
um I wish that we did this more actually<\/p>\n
I'd love to sing more Psalms because I<\/p>\n
mean our songs are great you know<\/p>\n
they're pretty good but this is this is<\/p>\n
the Bible so if we could sing these<\/p>\n
would be great if you guys want to get<\/p>\n
busy writing songs and hymns and stuff<\/p>\n
like that out of these Psalms that'd be<\/p>\n
great<\/p>\n
um<\/p>\n
but the Psalms or the songs<\/p>\n
are where we go think about it it's<\/p>\n
where we go<\/p>\n
when Trouble Comes<\/p>\n
right like God made us<\/p>\n
to be moved by music<\/p>\n
by poetry<\/p>\n
God I mean think about when when you are<\/p>\n
listening to your favorite musician your<\/p>\n
set your favorite songs you listen to it<\/p>\n
and you love them because they do<\/p>\n
something to you they<\/p>\n
so they they<\/p>\n
produce something in you they they make<\/p>\n
chill bumps come up sometimes you know<\/p>\n
if it's the right song<\/p>\n
they get you through hard times at times<\/p>\n
certain songs do that<\/p>\n
this is what the Psalms are the Psalms<\/p>\n
are the place where you go in those kind<\/p>\n
of times<\/p>\n
and this is a good psalm for the new<\/p>\n
year because it teaches us how to live a<\/p>\n
fateful life<\/p>\n
in the midst of trouble basically a<\/p>\n
faithful life<\/p>\n
in the midst of Life of day-to-day life<\/p>\n
the mess of Life the hard things about<\/p>\n
life<\/p>\n
so how many of you by show of hands made<\/p>\n
New Year's resolutions<\/p>\n
we have one person that made New Year's<\/p>\n
resolution did you break any yet<\/p>\n
yeah there we go all right that's<\/p>\n
honesty right there good job that's okay<\/p>\n
that's what they're for you you're<\/p>\n
supposed to make them and then break<\/p>\n
them as soon as you can<\/p>\n
uh I don't know about you I just love<\/p>\n
the new year because it's like it even<\/p>\n
though it's really not it kind of is<\/p>\n
like a fresh start you kind of you put<\/p>\n
yourself in this mental place where all<\/p>\n
right everything's new we're making a<\/p>\n
fresh start the old is gone we got a new<\/p>\n
chance<\/p>\n
to do whatever to to finally get<\/p>\n
six-pack abs I've never done it and I<\/p>\n
probably won't do it this year but it<\/p>\n
the hope is there<\/p>\n
but I have three kids so it's not<\/p>\n
happening<\/p>\n
but we make these resolutions so that<\/p>\n
because this is how we do it we look<\/p>\n
towards the end of the year right we<\/p>\n
look out in the future and we say this<\/p>\n
is who I want to be or this is who I<\/p>\n
want to be this is what I want to be<\/p>\n
like or this is what I want to look like<\/p>\n
in 12 months at the end of the next at<\/p>\n
this point next year these these<\/p>\n
resolutions will shape that person<\/p>\n
sometimes literally<\/p>\n
and we build these habits we never do<\/p>\n
but we the the goal is the idea is the<\/p>\n
theory is we would build these habits<\/p>\n
that would shape us into a new person or<\/p>\n
to the vision of who we wanted to be<\/p>\n
this Psalm is kind of like that<\/p>\n
it's a little bit<\/p>\n
like if we look at what's happening here<\/p>\n
in this Psalm it's kind of like New<\/p>\n
Year's resolutions idea<\/p>\n
not for their psalmist who wrote it but<\/p>\n
for us who look at it<\/p>\n
and I've titled the sermon holy rhythms<\/p>\n
for a faithful life<\/p>\n
the psalmist the guy who wrote this<\/p>\n
is old he's in his old age now you look<\/p>\n
in verse in 9 and 18 he's an old man<\/p>\n
he's it appears that he's had a lifetime<\/p>\n
of knowing and trusting and loving God<\/p>\n
he's known him a long time he's walked<\/p>\n
with God a long time<\/p>\n
and in this Psalm he shows us how we can<\/p>\n
face day-to-day trouble kind of the mess<\/p>\n
the trouble the hard things that come<\/p>\n
out or that come along in our day in our<\/p>\n
in our days in our lives<\/p>\n
and he shows us how to face trouble<\/p>\n
with three holy habits I'm gonna call<\/p>\n
them or holy rhythms<\/p>\n
and the first one is he remembers so<\/p>\n
we're gonna look at how he remembers and<\/p>\n
what he remembers<\/p>\n
the second is that he trusts now all<\/p>\n
these are simple they're not there's<\/p>\n
nothing<\/p>\n
groundbreaking here it's all simple but<\/p>\n
he trusts he trusts that God is who he<\/p>\n
is and is going to do what he said he's<\/p>\n
going to do<\/p>\n
and then he responds In Praise<\/p>\n
so let's look at trouble first let's<\/p>\n
look at trouble<\/p>\n
so as you look at this passage you'll<\/p>\n
see and this is the way scripture works<\/p>\n
a lot of times if you're if you're<\/p>\n
trying to figure out what is this script<\/p>\n
or what is the passage that you're<\/p>\n
looking at trying to say to me look at<\/p>\n
what it repeats look at what it says<\/p>\n
over and over and over again<\/p>\n
so when he's talking about trouble he<\/p>\n
uses these words shame<\/p>\n
disgrace he uses the phrase cast me off<\/p>\n
forsaken<\/p>\n
troubles Calamity I mean these are real<\/p>\n
like not just small things they're big<\/p>\n
things usually is what he's talking<\/p>\n
about<\/p>\n
and even shame like from Westerner maybe<\/p>\n
shame is is less than maybe what an<\/p>\n
easterner would feel<\/p>\n
but the psalmist here he's faced real<\/p>\n
trouble<\/p>\n
and not only trouble that just kind of<\/p>\n
happens to come along like like maybe<\/p>\n
self-inflicted trouble I have some of<\/p>\n
that you have some of that we we tend to<\/p>\n
I was listening to Harry Potter<\/p>\n
yesterday I don't know if you're<\/p>\n
offended by it or not but I was<\/p>\n
listening to Harry Potter yesterday and<\/p>\n
Albus Dumbledore says this this is<\/p>\n
unplanned unscripted but he says this<\/p>\n
great great quote he says he says humans<\/p>\n
have have the uh what do you say<\/p>\n
they have The Knack of choosing the<\/p>\n
precise wrong thing for themselves<\/p>\n
something like that we look for trouble<\/p>\n
we we seek we welcome it but there's<\/p>\n
also god-given trouble that that the<\/p>\n
psalmist talks about so let's look at<\/p>\n
the characteristics of of the trouble<\/p>\n
that he's talking about here<\/p>\n
so the first characteristic that we see<\/p>\n
is that it's common as common so in<\/p>\n
verses 13 and 20 may my accusers would<\/p>\n
be put to shame and consumed with<\/p>\n
scorned and disgrace disgrace may they<\/p>\n
be covered who seek my hurt<\/p>\n
and then in verse 20<\/p>\n
you who have made me see many troubles<\/p>\n
and calamities will revive me again so<\/p>\n
it's a common element of his life it's<\/p>\n
not a one-off it's not just something<\/p>\n
that happened once and it's one and done<\/p>\n
but it's something<\/p>\n
that comes again and again and again and<\/p>\n
again and if you from your own life<\/p>\n
experience you know<\/p>\n
trouble is coming this year<\/p>\n
there's going to be hard times there's<\/p>\n
gonna be hard things about this year<\/p>\n
now it may be<\/p>\n
it may be a diagnosis<\/p>\n
it may be a phone call that you get with<\/p>\n
some awful news<\/p>\n
it may just be this nagging sin in your<\/p>\n
own life<\/p>\n
and the consequences of falling to that<\/p>\n
sin over and over and over<\/p>\n
but trouble's coming<\/p>\n
it may be maybe passive or maybe what<\/p>\n
other people do to you<\/p>\n
just last week Ransom my middle child<\/p>\n
um phase five and he was he's looking so<\/p>\n
sad and like so broken he was crying and<\/p>\n
I said I said what's wrong buddy he said<\/p>\n
Daddy I never get to do the things that<\/p>\n
I want to do there's so much trouble in<\/p>\n
my life and I said what are you and I<\/p>\n
was thinking to myself what do you mean<\/p>\n
we have a pretty good life we do and he<\/p>\n
said I've never been to Antarctica<\/p>\n
I've never ridden in a helicopter and<\/p>\n
nobody will take me to the moon and so<\/p>\n
he thinks that he has trouble<\/p>\n
but that's a joke but I mean<\/p>\n
that's the way any little thing in our<\/p>\n
life anything that we feel that's wrong<\/p>\n
it becomes it becomes the thing in our<\/p>\n
it's common it's common to humans you're<\/p>\n
going to have trouble this year<\/p>\n
another characteristic of this of this<\/p>\n
uh this trouble that we see in Psalm 71<\/p>\n
is it it's personal<\/p>\n
so people are attacking him personally<\/p>\n
it's not just a general there's trouble<\/p>\n
out there and he's in the middle of it<\/p>\n
you know like the economy's bad or<\/p>\n
something like that no he is being<\/p>\n
attacked he is being<\/p>\n
people are saying seize him<\/p>\n
yeah pursue and sees him for there's<\/p>\n
none to deliver him<\/p>\n
he's he has enemies<\/p>\n
he has trouble it's in its personal<\/p>\n
trouble it's directed at him<\/p>\n
now<\/p>\n
we probably don't have this kind of<\/p>\n
trouble in our lives<\/p>\n
but if you had someone<\/p>\n
that you're dealing with that there's<\/p>\n
maybe there's a sin they're they're<\/p>\n
sinning against you maybe they're<\/p>\n
backbiting maybe they're gossiping maybe<\/p>\n
they're slandering we all have trouble<\/p>\n
and that that's and it's usually there's<\/p>\n
some personal<\/p>\n
side to it<\/p>\n
three it's god-given the third<\/p>\n
characteristic is this god-given<\/p>\n
so<\/p>\n
in verse 20 he says you who have made me<\/p>\n
to see many troubles and calamities<\/p>\n
God is<\/p>\n
plentifully at times in our lives making<\/p>\n
us see calamity<\/p>\n
he's making us see trouble he's bringing<\/p>\n
these things in our lives<\/p>\n
some trouble is passive some we receive<\/p>\n
from others some we make for ourselves<\/p>\n
but then sometimes God gives us that<\/p>\n
God gives us trouble God give he gave<\/p>\n
Israel trouble to teach them more do you<\/p>\n
remember that<\/p>\n
he gave them trouble<\/p>\n
when they wandered from him to<\/p>\n
discipline them<\/p>\n
God gave job trouble he allowed trouble<\/p>\n
to happen<\/p>\n
the fourth thing you see here is that<\/p>\n
it's public so everybody's in on it so<\/p>\n
everybody around him now this is<\/p>\n
possibly the King this is possibly David<\/p>\n
talking so of course everybody's going<\/p>\n
to know about his troubling about his<\/p>\n
attackers<\/p>\n
but sometimes our troubles become public<\/p>\n
and the fifth thing is that it's<\/p>\n
significant<\/p>\n
so all the language that the people are<\/p>\n
using here against his enemies they're<\/p>\n
using stuff they're saying things like<\/p>\n
God has forsaken him<\/p>\n
so that's a public thing people are<\/p>\n
saying God has forsaken him that and<\/p>\n
that's also significant it's weighty now<\/p>\n
just like in my example with Ransom all<\/p>\n
our troubles feel weighty to us all our<\/p>\n
troubles feel that way<\/p>\n
but this is what when we're reading this<\/p>\n
passage we're seeing a common trouble<\/p>\n
we're seeing<\/p>\n
it happens to everyone it comes to<\/p>\n
everyone it's personal it's it we feel<\/p>\n
it in our hearts we we it's it's<\/p>\n
directed at us it's god-given<\/p>\n
God allows it and God even gives it at<\/p>\n
times it's public people know about it<\/p>\n
it's significant<\/p>\n
now our troubles may not exactly match<\/p>\n
this<\/p>\n
but when your Trouble Comes this year<\/p>\n
when you have issues this year when you<\/p>\n
have problems when your teammate<\/p>\n
when your roommate<\/p>\n
when your husband or wife when your<\/p>\n
child sins against you<\/p>\n
where do we go<\/p>\n
we go to the Psalms<\/p>\n
see there's Comfort here because this<\/p>\n
the Psalms actually reflect our reality<\/p>\n
we come to the Psalms because they show<\/p>\n
us how to cry out to God they show us<\/p>\n
our lives put down in God's word it<\/p>\n
shows us that God<\/p>\n
knows he understands what's going on in<\/p>\n
our lives<\/p>\n
there was a season in my life<\/p>\n
a pretty horrible situation backbiting<\/p>\n
betrayal<\/p>\n
even threats on<\/p>\n
well threats I would say that<\/p>\n
were made and it shocked and hurt me so<\/p>\n
much that<\/p>\n
there was a time where I couldn't<\/p>\n
like I just couldn't read I don't mean I<\/p>\n
forgot how to read but I I like I used<\/p>\n
to read about two or three books a week<\/p>\n
and just that was kind of a discipline I<\/p>\n
had and then after this happened I could<\/p>\n
only concentrate on the Psalms<\/p>\n
and the reason why is because they're<\/p>\n
raw they're emotional they're painful at<\/p>\n
times<\/p>\n
there's a Psalm that says that ends with<\/p>\n
darkness is my only friend<\/p>\n
the Psalms reflect<\/p>\n
Our Lives they reflect the darkness that<\/p>\n
we Face day to day<\/p>\n
and they teach us how to live for God<\/p>\n
how to live Faithfully<\/p>\n
in the midst of Exile we're all in Exile<\/p>\n
we're all in a fallen World we're all<\/p>\n
waiting<\/p>\n
to go home<\/p>\n
and they the Psalms walk us through that<\/p>\n
they walk us through that life<\/p>\n
and even more than this these are the<\/p>\n
prayers of Jesus<\/p>\n
now you think about<\/p>\n
the place of the Psalms and Jewish<\/p>\n
worship the place of the Psalms in the<\/p>\n
life of a first century Hebrew growing<\/p>\n
up<\/p>\n
Jesus saying this psalm Jesus prayed<\/p>\n
this Psalm when you when you read Jesus<\/p>\n
words his his words drip with the Psalms<\/p>\n
and with Isaiah of course<\/p>\n
trouble when Jesus read<\/p>\n
these words accuse<\/p>\n
forsaken cast off shamed treated with<\/p>\n
scorn and disgrace forsaken when Jesus<\/p>\n
was reading and meditating and praying<\/p>\n
this Psalm because he did<\/p>\n
I wonder I wonder<\/p>\n
did he did he realize this is me I will<\/p>\n
be forsaken I will be ashamed I will<\/p>\n
take all their trouble<\/p>\n
so we have trouble we know that<\/p>\n
how what are the habits what are the<\/p>\n
rhythms<\/p>\n
that we need to build into our lives the<\/p>\n
resolutions if you will that will help<\/p>\n
us to walk Faithfully with God this year<\/p>\n
and the rest of our lives<\/p>\n
well the psalmist remembers next we see<\/p>\n
that he remembers he remembers who God<\/p>\n
is and what he's done both in his<\/p>\n
personal history and in the history of<\/p>\n
the world<\/p>\n
and ultimately he's able to rely on this<\/p>\n
he remembers he knows that God is a God<\/p>\n
who welcomes him listen again to verse 3<\/p>\n
continually come<\/p>\n
how many parents in the room<\/p>\n
all right I'm gonna I'm gonna be this is<\/p>\n
a confession<\/p>\n
sometimes I want to read a book and I'm<\/p>\n
just sitting in a chair and I want to<\/p>\n
read a book and I want to get through a<\/p>\n
chapter<\/p>\n
and all I hear I haven't read a book in<\/p>\n
eight years Abigail's eight years old<\/p>\n
now I haven't read a book in eight years<\/p>\n
now basically<\/p>\n
Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy come look at<\/p>\n
this okay Daddy Daddy they come to me<\/p>\n
continually<\/p>\n
and I get tired of it I mean this is a<\/p>\n
confession this is not right it's not<\/p>\n
good this is the evil in my heart I want<\/p>\n
my kids I want to mail them back to<\/p>\n
America and let them live with my family<\/p>\n
for a while so that I can read a book<\/p>\n
again<\/p>\n
God never gets tired of Us coming God<\/p>\n
never gets tired of you coming to him<\/p>\n
this passes this verse be to me a rock<\/p>\n
of Refuge to which I may continually<\/p>\n
come now okay I know how much I mess up<\/p>\n
and I know how annoying I can be and God<\/p>\n
says<\/p>\n
I can come to him continually so he<\/p>\n
remembers this is a God who you can come<\/p>\n
to continually<\/p>\n
that's hard to believe it's true<\/p>\n
especially when you know yourself<\/p>\n
secondly he he remembers this is a God<\/p>\n
who has been there all my life<\/p>\n
he's present<\/p>\n
he's active in his life<\/p>\n
he knows God knows the psalmist the<\/p>\n
person who wrote this Psalm he God knows<\/p>\n
him to the bottom he knows everything<\/p>\n
about him he's been there listen upon<\/p>\n
you I have leaned from before my birth<\/p>\n
that's a long time<\/p>\n
womb<\/p>\n
this is a God who has just been there<\/p>\n
who has been present now some of us<\/p>\n
maybe have fathers<\/p>\n
who haven't been present<\/p>\n
sometimes I've had to realize I'm not a<\/p>\n
father who's always present I need to be<\/p>\n
that I need to do that better<\/p>\n
this is a father who is present who is<\/p>\n
there<\/p>\n
who's been there for him all his life<\/p>\n
thoroughly he remembers this is a God<\/p>\n
who cares deeply and personally for him<\/p>\n
he says oh God for my youth this is<\/p>\n
verse 17. for my youth you have taught<\/p>\n
me and I still Proclaim your wondrous<\/p>\n
Deeds<\/p>\n
from my youth you have taught me this is<\/p>\n
like the picture of a father who just<\/p>\n
disciples and Carries and teaches his<\/p>\n
son<\/p>\n
throughout his life and brings him up<\/p>\n
fourthly this is a God who will show<\/p>\n
himself to Future Generations verse 18.<\/p>\n
so even to my old age and gray hairs oh<\/p>\n
God do not forsake me until I Proclaim<\/p>\n
your might to another generation the<\/p>\n
psalmist knows this isn't a god who's<\/p>\n
just about me and Jesus and individual<\/p>\n
relationship this is a God who who is<\/p>\n
over time who's not bound by time and<\/p>\n
who is who is showing his might to<\/p>\n
Generations he is a God who works in<\/p>\n
Generations not just in individual lives<\/p>\n
and then verse 19<\/p>\n
this is a God who is he remembers this<\/p>\n
is God who is utterly unique<\/p>\n
heavens you who have done great things<\/p>\n
oh God who is like you so in the midst<\/p>\n
of trouble he takes time to remember<\/p>\n
this is the god who has dealt with me<\/p>\n
all of my life this is the god who has<\/p>\n
been with me all my life this is a God<\/p>\n
who know who there is no one like him<\/p>\n
he remembers<\/p>\n
I don't know about you but for me it's<\/p>\n
really easy to forget it's really easy<\/p>\n
to forget who God is and what he's done<\/p>\n
to forget the gospel<\/p>\n
how do how can we do this better how can<\/p>\n
we remember better in this new year<\/p>\n
how can we build this holy habit this<\/p>\n
holy Rhythm how can we make a resolution<\/p>\n
to remember<\/p>\n
well if we follow the psalmist this is<\/p>\n
what he does he recites you know he's<\/p>\n
this is just a recitation of what God<\/p>\n
has done over and over he if you read<\/p>\n
through it is it's it's a poem one so<\/p>\n
it's it's it's lyrical but it's also<\/p>\n
over and over<\/p>\n
oh Lord my refuge deliver me rescue me<\/p>\n
save me Refuge rescue Rock and Fortress<\/p>\n
all it just goes throughout the psalm<\/p>\n
and there's this recitation of God's<\/p>\n
person and God's actions<\/p>\n
secondly he sings<\/p>\n
so we need to recite but we also need to<\/p>\n
sing We need to sing our praise to God<\/p>\n
if we want to remember<\/p>\n
sing<\/p>\n
find a Time find a place to sing come<\/p>\n
here every week and sing or find a<\/p>\n
church near you and sing<\/p>\n
because that's how God will drive these<\/p>\n
truths into your heart that's how you<\/p>\n
will remember<\/p>\n
my kids there's these little scripture<\/p>\n
songs that we do with our kids and my<\/p>\n
especially Abigail she just knows she<\/p>\n
knows way more scripture than I do<\/p>\n
because she just listens to these songs<\/p>\n
over and over and over and they're in<\/p>\n
her heart she sings God's word and it's<\/p>\n
the sweetest thing<\/p>\n
then he prays you know In this passage<\/p>\n
he prays now<\/p>\n
okay this is everybody's neutral<\/p>\n
resolution who's a Believer every year I<\/p>\n
want to pray more right that's what we<\/p>\n
always do and then we we go through our<\/p>\n
first day without praying right<\/p>\n
you're all guilty we're all guilty but<\/p>\n
that's just<\/p>\n
how do we remember<\/p>\n
who God is we take the scriptures and we<\/p>\n
pray them we pray them back to God we<\/p>\n
speak God's word back to him and ask for<\/p>\n
these things ask for God be my refuge<\/p>\n
God let me never be put to shame deliver<\/p>\n
me rescue me whatever is going on your<\/p>\n
life pray those things<\/p>\n
and then he recounts he tells he he uses<\/p>\n
these words tell Proclaim my lips will<\/p>\n
shout my tongue will talk my mouth will<\/p>\n
tell he goes to other people and tells<\/p>\n
them as a way of remembering as a way of<\/p>\n
him remembering helping other people<\/p>\n
remember who God is and what he's done<\/p>\n
the next holy Rhythm or holy habit<\/p>\n
we could use his Trust<\/p>\n
you know God is uh he's a refuge he's<\/p>\n
rescue he's a rock and a fortress and<\/p>\n
this idea of rescue that this uh this<\/p>\n
psalmist is talking about he's talking<\/p>\n
about God's historic faithfulness and<\/p>\n
presence and how huge that theme is uh<\/p>\n
in not only his life but also all<\/p>\n
throughout scripture because God has<\/p>\n
rescued before he's a God who rescues<\/p>\n
and he will always rescue his own<\/p>\n
so even before we're able to cry out he<\/p>\n
rescues and when as his children we cry<\/p>\n
out he rescues<\/p>\n
and there's two parts to this crying out<\/p>\n
and we're not going to walk through all<\/p>\n
the verses but in verses 2 3 9 12 and<\/p>\n
18. if you look at that<\/p>\n
it's almost they do this<\/p>\n
there's crying out and then there's<\/p>\n
taking Refuge cry out take refuse cry<\/p>\n
out take refuge<\/p>\n
so God wants us to cry out to him<\/p>\n
if you want to if you want this if you<\/p>\n
want to be faithful this year if you<\/p>\n
want to to walk with God<\/p>\n
cry out to him when the Trouble Comes<\/p>\n
cry out<\/p>\n
he's like us he's saying be like a<\/p>\n
scared child a terrified child who's<\/p>\n
crying out for Daddy who just Longs who<\/p>\n
needs Daddy<\/p>\n
and throughout the Psalms if we read the<\/p>\n
Psalms there's this kind of desperate<\/p>\n
constant crying out over and over and<\/p>\n
over<\/p>\n
have you been there like have you been<\/p>\n
in a place is there an area of your life<\/p>\n
where<\/p>\n
you you're terrified or you're tired or<\/p>\n
you're without hope or you're desperate<\/p>\n
cry out cry out to him<\/p>\n
and then the second thing here is taking<\/p>\n
refuge in verses 1 5 7 14 19 21 20 and<\/p>\n
23. sometimes it's easy for us to cry<\/p>\n
out you know when when the hard times<\/p>\n
come it's really easy actually to cry<\/p>\n
out<\/p>\n
because that's our maybe sometimes our<\/p>\n
first response we we cry out to God we<\/p>\n
pray God if you would only deliver me<\/p>\n
from this you would take this away then<\/p>\n
and then we we bargained don't we we<\/p>\n
barter with God<\/p>\n
but what do you take refuge in in those<\/p>\n
and think about this<\/p>\n
the word that the psalm is using is is<\/p>\n
Refuge Rock<\/p>\n
Fortress a place of safety<\/p>\n
sometimes from for me I will take refuge<\/p>\n
in<\/p>\n
football<\/p>\n
now that sounds so stupid I know but<\/p>\n
what is your stupid thing that you take<\/p>\n
refuge in what what when things are<\/p>\n
really hard<\/p>\n
when you're scared what do you run to to<\/p>\n
kind of take your mind off it that's<\/p>\n
your Refuge that's your idol right there<\/p>\n
well do you is it food is it money is it<\/p>\n
sex is it<\/p>\n
what is it is it dating is it is it<\/p>\n
video games what is it there's a friend<\/p>\n
of mine who<\/p>\n
is just trouble has followed him all his<\/p>\n
life some of that his trouble was put on<\/p>\n
him some of that trouble<\/p>\n
is self well he finds it<\/p>\n
and<\/p>\n
he'll cry out<\/p>\n
and that which is a good thing but then<\/p>\n
he will spend hours and hours and hours<\/p>\n
in a video game now he's he's a 43 year<\/p>\n
old man like me<\/p>\n
and his marriage is dying his kids hate<\/p>\n
him because he will not run to the<\/p>\n
Refuge in trouble he'll run to his video<\/p>\n
games<\/p>\n
and that's what false Refuge does it<\/p>\n
kills our relationships it kills our<\/p>\n
relationship with God and it kills our<\/p>\n
faith really<\/p>\n
who are we taking refuge in what are we<\/p>\n
taking refuge in<\/p>\n
listen Jesus came to be<\/p>\n
your Refuge<\/p>\n
Jesus cried out<\/p>\n
to his father<\/p>\n
but he was forsaken for us<\/p>\n
in order that we may cry out and he can<\/p>\n
be our refuge<\/p>\n
and then the last thing that we do the<\/p>\n
last kind of holy habit or holy rhythm<\/p>\n
is that we praise and this word prays<\/p>\n
and this this concept of praising is<\/p>\n
used more than anything else in this<\/p>\n
passage now which is which is telling I<\/p>\n
mean this is an old man who's walked<\/p>\n
with God for a long time and he's having<\/p>\n
continuous calamitous trouble in this<\/p>\n
and if you notice what happens in the<\/p>\n
psalm here<\/p>\n
if you read through it<\/p>\n
the words like shame<\/p>\n
do not cast me off forsaken<\/p>\n
disgrace<\/p>\n
all those troubles troubles and<\/p>\n
calamities all these words they were<\/p>\n
with they were on<\/p>\n
the psalmist they were on him in fact he<\/p>\n
whatever was happening in his life was<\/p>\n
so bad that his enemies thought God has<\/p>\n
forsaken him God has left him abandon<\/p>\n
but by the end of the psalm we see that<\/p>\n
all of those things the direction has<\/p>\n
changed<\/p>\n
put them on your enemies put them on my<\/p>\n
enemies<\/p>\n
all shame all condemnation all Calamity<\/p>\n
and trouble is ultimately heaped on<\/p>\n
God's enemies and not on us and that is<\/p>\n
a truth you know we meditate a little<\/p>\n
bit on Romans 8. best chapter in the<\/p>\n
Bible the message there and the message<\/p>\n
here is the same<\/p>\n
trouble is coming<\/p>\n
but we need to remember that rescue is<\/p>\n
also coming<\/p>\n
and then that should drive us to praise<\/p>\n
so the application for us is praise<\/p>\n
how do we how do we<\/p>\n
live a faithful life how do we walk with<\/p>\n
God Faithfully in 2023 when there's<\/p>\n
trouble we praise<\/p>\n
this has to be a a holy Rhythm a holy<\/p>\n
Habit in our lives we come to him we<\/p>\n
come together we do it individually we<\/p>\n
praise the one who has done all these<\/p>\n
things because when you praise you<\/p>\n
remind yourself you're remembering<\/p>\n
actually<\/p>\n
who he is and what he's done<\/p>\n
and we Proclaim so whatever you praise<\/p>\n
you will Proclaim that thing<\/p>\n
whatever you praise you will proclaim<\/p>\n
the thing that you love the thing that<\/p>\n
you that you<\/p>\n
just Delight in<\/p>\n
whatever you praise you're going to talk<\/p>\n
about that thing<\/p>\n
you're going to talk about what you love<\/p>\n
so let's make<\/p>\n
because<\/p>\n
in the midst of our troubles in the<\/p>\n
midst of our shame and our disgrace in<\/p>\n
the midst of even being even feeling<\/p>\n
forsaken he has come<\/p>\n
so that we may remember he was he has<\/p>\n
rescued us therefore Let Us Praise and<\/p>\n
let's Proclaim that salvation to the<\/p>\n
people around us let's pray<\/p>\n
father we thank you<\/p>\n
that you are a God who<\/p>\n
who loves us so deeply<\/p>\n
has given us a redeemer<\/p>\n
who has taken our shame who was forsaken<\/p>\n
who was disgraced<\/p>\n
so that we<\/p>\n
may have Refuge that we may have rescue<\/p>\n
Lord I pray that you would help us you<\/p>\n
would take this word and apply it to our<\/p>\n
hearts<\/p>\n
let us build these holy rhythms<\/p>\n
remembering the gospel remembering who<\/p>\n
you are and what you've done<\/p>\n
remembering your rescue<\/p>\n
crying out to you taking refuge in you<\/p>\n
and praising you let us as we walk<\/p>\n
through this New Year Lord let us walk<\/p>\n
through doing these things<\/p>\n
we ask all this in your name amen<\/p>","english_search_text":"","":"","original_publish_date":"20230109","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pmjCtggTlMc","video_id":"pmjCtggTlMc","video_duration":"35:17","channel_name":"Grace City Bangkok"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":764,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions\/764"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}