Would you bow your head with me this morning? Father, that’s my desire for my life and for us as a church, that our worship would be acceptable to you. And yet, father, I’m reminded throughout scripture that not all worship pleases you. When our heart is not right before you and we go through motions, but inside we’re empty and dead, and all of our worship is just motion, and revive us and refresh us so that our praise and our worship would stem from a heart that is full of delight and full of joy in you.

I pray in these next few moments as we consider your word that you would rekindle in us, hearts that are, fresh with passion for you, delighting in you, and enjoying to stir our hearts afresh and anew, I pray, in Jesus name. Want the Lord to be delighted with my praise, Don’t you? It only happens when our praise flows from hearts that are right with them. And may the Lord help us to have that kind of a heart. Old Scottish preacher George Morrison once made the observation.

He said, the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings. Sure how I altogether feel about that. Almost sounds like there’s a lot of death and renew in a victorious Christian. But I think he touches on a point that is important. We’re in the winter season right now.

Right. And most of the trees are bare. Now, I kind of enjoy that because from my back deck, when the trees are void of their leaves, I actually have some nice views to the If you get in the right spot, you can see table And so there’s times that I kind of like that. No leaves. I thought maybe it’d be really nice if on some violent stormy night, the trees in my neighbor’s yard would mysteriously tumble over so that I would have better views to the mountains.

But I’ve never been able to justify how that could really happen. But you know, in just a couple of months, all of those trees And this period of time when everything is a little drab, there’s new buds that begin to form are going to start pushing through the ground again to new life. When I think about that, there’s an element of truth to that in the spiritual sense. Truth to that in the spiritual sense. Over and over in scripture, predominantly in the Old Testament, authors from the old testament that encourage the people of God to new beginning. What we talk about as revival. We’re at the end of a year that just began last week, right?

And if anybody feel like 2023 was just a I know that is because I’m getting It’s the older you get, the faster the years go. Thought that has just been pressed upon my heart to share for us. And I believe there’s an element of it for us personally on a personal level, but also corporate as a d and it’s expressed through us, and that’s the subject of revival or being revived. If you look at the body, the human body, when an element of the human body suffers, If you’ve ever had lower back pain, then you under stand just a little bit how lower back pain affects everything about your physical being. And what may have started as just a twinge in your lower back, all of a sudden, you begin to walk with a little bit of a limp.

And as you walk with a limp, then all of a sudden, your hip begins to hurt. And because you’re favoring one leg, then your knee starts to hurt. And then the muscles begin to You know what I’m talking about? And then the muscles begin to draw and about. You know, the same principle is true in the spiritual realm and in the church.

And each of us individually go through things that are challenges to us or painful to us, it impacts the entire body. What happens to 1 impacts all of us. I’ve been drawn to the book of Psalms again this morning for our scripture reading, particularly Psalm 85. I’ve wrestled with how to preach this particular whichever hermeneutics teacher you would follow, there are some that would say, you always preach the text from the beginning to the end in order. And then, you have some hermeneutics guys that would say, no.

You can go to the end and preach from the end of it backwards. That I want to just But I want to just tell you right up, the storm in some ways is in essence, it gives us the final goal, tells us how to get it tells us the means whereby that comes. And so I thought about starting at the end, the means whereby we get to what we need so that we can accomplish our final goal. But we’re going to work through it in its order. I’m going to invite you to stand with me as we read this psalm together.

So Gonna invite you to stand with me as we read this Somm to draw has been favorable unto the taken away all thy wrath. Thou hast stured thyself from the fierceness of thine. And cause thine anger toward us. It’s not be angry with us forever. Wilt thou draw out thine anger draw generations?

Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice and show us thy mercy, oh Lord, and grant us thy fall. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear that glory may dwell in our land. Travesty. Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven. The Lord shall give that which is good and our land shall yield her increase.

Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps. You may be seated. This particular and it’s opening notes gives us a little understanding of its background. If you have a bible this morning that gives you, at the beginning of the Psalms, some information about those som, then you will know a little detail about the som, some of those details that you discover at the outset of the som, who is the of Psalm 85 are the sons of men who would have been and they’re writing this particular 2 som, and here are these group of worship leaders more than likely was theme of this particular som is revival or reviving. And he’s taken some time.

He’s reflected on some things. And then it calls for reviving, and then he asks the Lord to do something. Give us ears to hear a new and I come into this new year, As you and I come into this new year, this has been my heart’s cry for us as a church, for me personally, but also for us as a church. Lord, would you revive us a new will you refresh us a new our a among us. And the things that I discover every is the second law of thermodynamics.

Some of you know that law, whether you realize it or not. Now, Brother Armstrong knows nothing of this because he doesn’t drink coffee. Bless us. He and keep it on that warmer if you have a bun warmer, if you have one of those little, insulated, coffee holders. What is it called?

A curve? Then it’ll keep it warm, but you pour that out into your cup. And it’s not long until now, I confess, I don’t like my coffee so hot that it burns your throat the whole way down. I don’t like that. I get my cup of coffee and I start drinking at about 20 to 30 minutes.

But the time that I get done with it, it’s usually it’s called the natural laws of thermo or second law of thermodynamics states that everything is in a state of I would suggest to us this morning that even within the natural laws of and the natural danger for our spiritual lives is that we grow, get caught up in the hustle and the bustle of life and we active about all of our daily activities. Are there are times in the spirit in our spiritual lives where we need a I believe that’s a part and I believe that’s a and Morison was talking about with the idea victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings There are times that we need the fresh outpouring of the spirit of God on our hearts to revive us and refresh. This morning, Psalm 85, maybe a little background would help us. Appear. This was written in the period of time after Israel has come back from their 70 years of captivity and seeing the mighty hand of the Lord who has raised up some men who have led Israel out of Babylon, back into like Nehemiah and if you study this period of Israel’s history, you, you destroy drifts back into a pattern of idor.

And there’s a cooling that has happened in is They’ve experienced some setbacks along the way walls. They need a fresh outpouring of the spirit of the fresh outpouring of the spirit of their spiritual lives have cooled off. It appears that this som, in a time when they’re experiencing some of what Ezekiel talked about. The reality of. Seeing the valley of dry something fresh.

They saw and provides for us some vital perspectives about our need and our approach. Being revived and refreshed in the order. But I think you’re going to notice that as we work through, the words that the psalmist began this som, it’s all about praise. Look at it. You showed favor to your and favor to the land of Israel.

He’s taken them out of their 70 years of captivity. He’s brought them back into their land. You restored the captivity of Jacob. They’re no longer under the bondage of the Babylonians, but they are back in their, and stolen away from them as being and you forgave the inequity of your In other words, you’ve forgiven us of our. All of our sins.

You’ve taken our sins and you’ve cast them as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against us again. The right for the sons of Korah as they’re writing this, they’re reflecting You showed us mercy. Praise is a choice to reflect on God’s past goodness and not to dwell on present circumstances. Amen? We get caught up in our present circumstances.

And when we get caught up in the present circumstances, all we can see is what’s right here. And there are moments that you and I need to step back and see the bigger picture of what God has done. And see the bigger picture of what God has done. Because whenever we step back to look at the goodness of God, present circumstances that were And so you and I need a fresh spirit of praise. Astrid, just stop to reflect back over your life and the goodness of God in your taken time just to pause and look over what God has done in your life.

Now, there’s a difference. Let me just, let me be and Right? That, longing to go back to the days that you used to Reflecting back is that time where you just step back and you begin to over the landscape of your life and see the goodness of and through the book of Exodus, one period of and was going through a particularly just dry season in Justice, chapter 8, Moses, encourages the people of Israel to and what he was doing in me. And what he was doing in And what he was doing that moment of just pausing to reflect back, refreshed my spirit for new refreshed my spirit for a to the Lord glory for what he was doing in my There are times that you and I need to pause and take a look at the goodness of God and what he has done in the past so that it can change our present circumstance.

Times. I just reflect over my life. I see the hand of the Lord in my life. I see the hand of the Lord in my life. Life.

And it’s a fresh reminder that he’s worthy of praise for all of the good things that tenor of the then a force for there’s this abrupt and you guys here would have an interesting classic corpse. And if you think you don’t, number of years ago when I was a teenager, there was a fellow that I was connected with his family. Body man, did a lot of body work. And they had purchased a 1968 Ford Mustang. As my memory serves me, and this fella and his dad took that car and they begin to work with that car.

Car and they begin to work with that car, 2 89 and murder, repaired all the rust areas, murder, all the rust areas, painted that thing, Hunter Green, put new leather interior in it. And we used to beg him. His name was Mugsy. And we used to beg him. His name was Mugsy.

Don’t know why his parents named him Mugsy, but they named him Mugsy. To us for a ride. Take us for a ride. Of something to be done about their current circumstances. Lord, you need to revive us.

We need to experience a fresh grace in our lives. We need to be brought into the body shop, and we need restoration. To pop the hood and do some work on the we need you to work on some the our spiritual lives and renew us. Us this morning that you won’t experience fresh grace until you acknowledge that your current graces staure. So often, revival is stifled because of 1 or 2.

Reviving in our spirit. And until we humble ourselves to say, Lord, we need fresh grace, We’re the second reason that Or the second reason that revival is stifled is because of our spiritual reflecting. We just want to go back to the old days. You know what I’m talking about? Let me just pause here for some of you that are little older than what I am.

Trying to do? Some of your older folks know what it you don’t like change. You know, like everything just to stay the same way it always is. I’m starting to get old enough where it’s like, you know, I just I’m okay with things just being the way they are. Do you know, the danger is for some of us to reflect back on the way things used to be, and say, boy, I wish it was like that.

Pray for the old days. Stands square where you are and make the present better than any past is based all of on your relationship to God and go forward and presently, you will find that what is emerging is infinitely better than the past ever was. You know, than the past ever was. You know, when I read that, I said, he’s exactly right. Want to get nostalgic and look back at the way things used to be.

And boy, if we could just go back to the good old days, and I just say there were no good old days. And I just say there were no good old days. And I just say there were no good old days. And I just say there were no good old can I just say there were no good old days? God has never been a god of the good old days.

God has always been about what he’s doing in the present and what he’s doing and is coming to hope. We recall what God has done in the and to live between memory and hope. We recall what God has done in the Again, the And the for us is that we not live in either one of those. And whenever we get a fresh spirit of praise remembering what God has done, it can transform what’s going on right here and right now. The other danger is, is that we just we’re always looking ahead.

Always. And then we hit 13. We’re like, oh, and then, oh, I can’t wait until I’m 18, and I can go to I can’t wait. And then we kind of stop. And Most of us are Most of us aren’t saying, I can’t wait until I die.

What will come, what will come, what will come. And we’re always we’re waiting for the vacation to come. We’re waiting break to come. We’re waiting for this. We’re waiting for the And we fail to realize that God wants to do something for us right now.

Things that he’s doing in the future and he’s preparing for in the future, but God wants to refresh us right. I’m intrigued by what the Psalmist says, revival will do. Look at it. If you have your bible still open, it says in verse 6 that your people may rejoice in you. What should revival do for us?

Hap, and we come to church, and we fill us. So what makes us regular attenders at Oh, I hope what revival does for us is it gives us a heart that rejoices And who drives In fact, if you go to verse 10, it says that the nation would bring glory to God. My prayer is, God, would you refresh us so that the joy of the Lord fills our hearts. Your spirit, it’s really easy to praise, isn’t it? When you’re rejoicing in something, it’s easy for praise to just flow.

And so the psalmist is praying, Lord, revive us. Revive us. This is a period of time in Israel’s history that many believe that they had began to slip back into some of the old patterns and some of the idles fact. The idols of this present world begin to bring us greater satisfaction. For us to look forward to that vacation rather than it is for us to look forward to the opportunity that we have to share the good news of Jesus Christ was so for us to get caught up in the projects that were working, and saying, how can I serve the Lord?

Then say, how can I serve the Lord? It’s easier for us to get caught up, and say, and how can I give so that the kingdom of things that we can do to fill up our time rather than saying, Lord, how can I use my time that you’ve given to me that’s really your time? How can I use it for your glory? Do you see what I’m saying this morning? There are times that you and I need to just pause and say, rais, so and so and survival comes, it banishes every idol and captures, cry striper, and I say, Lord, revive us.

A and I swear, a and a worked our way backwards because the psalmist ends the catalyst to all of this. Look at verse 8. I will hear what God the Lord will say. Do you know how our hearts are revived anew and I need our ears to be tuned afresh and anew to hear the word of the Bible is always The beautiful things about the Bible tells us of itself that it is sharper than any two edged sword. And it is.

That means that this word is constantly speaking forth truth to us, always. Build up of earwax sometimes take a probe in there and they’ll clean out all of that build up of whacks that is hindering your and the Oh, Lord, I want to hear your word. My prayer for us is, is Lord give us to hear your. And in our world, we’re drowning out the And it’s easy for, for the hearing of the word of God to become news organization that did a chose, they set up cameras in the children’s rooms, and then they set off the fire alarms. No.

So they set up cameras and they set off the and they voided their responses. Not a single one of those children, tried of the you know what they did. They took the voice of the parents prerecorded, voice of their mother or their father saying and saying there’s a fire in the house. You need to get up and you need to leave. They discovered in that every single one of those children responded to the voice of their.

Every one of them that had ignored the sound of the fire. Danger, there’s a fire you need to get up, you need to respond, you need to get out of the house, you need to get out right now. Every one of those children responded. 1 of them responded within The Lord wants to call each one of us by name. The Lord wants to call each one of us by name.

He’s calling us to his word, to hear his voice, praise. Psalmist words and verse 10, loving, kindness, and truth have met together, righteous and traitors just stand on the portals of heaven and just blare this siren to us. No, what did he do? We just celebrated the hear my grace that is for you so that your heart can be filled with new brah burden this morning is that God would do something fresh and new for us to and for us collective, and for us, it’s easy sometimes for us to look around and say It doesn’t work like you used to work. And it’s true.

And to a pastor who was telling me about some things that God’s been doing in his church over the last couple of And how number of months ago, they had seen some new people come to the church and they got saved. And so they had a baptismal service. He said, no, we have a portable baptistry. And so we had set it up, baptized those that had recently been converted, took the Baptist Trai. The only way I can express it is that God sent a revival batched.

And he said, we batched. And all of a sudden, I realized there’s no point in taking the and the span of just a couple of It was somewhere over 40. And he said, we just took the baptistry down. Right? Right after I apt So he’s we’re going to put the back and before they left the service, they said, we want to be and close or anything, any changes of clothes or anything.

Just wanted to be and say, Lord, you’re still working in our world. Amen? It you’re still working in our world. It’s easy for us sometimes to look and say, yeah, God’s doing things in different parts of the world. And you go to different areas where you’re seeing the moving of God.

But I’m telling us, God is reviving us in America today. God doesn’t want us to live in the past and he doesn’t want us to just look to the future and he doesn’t want us to look to foreign countries. He wants us to say, Lord, do something new among us right here. Right? And that’s and Let’s stand together as we draw.

For us as a congregation, my prayer for my heart is, did you give us fresh ears to hear your word in my life so that you can help revive, for us as a church, that you would give us fresh ears to hear your word, saying, Lord, we need something fresh and anew in our Lord, may out of our hearts flow a fresh praise to you. Lord, you are worthy of glory and crescendo of praise that rises. We’re living in days where we need a fresh outpouring of your spirit loud and would be you are worthy of praise. You’re doing things in our world today, right here, right South Carolina and in easily Bible Methodist. I’m saying, Lord, we’re candidates for a fresh outpouring of your spirit.

My heart says, Lord, would you revive us? My heart says, Lord, would you revive us? Says, Lord, would you revive us? It says, Lord, would you give us fresh grace? I want to see the moving of your spirit among us.

Flaming passion for you, you would give to us new converts and, to us, people who are coming in and seeing the grace of God, a their hearts would be filled afresh and anew with your goodness and your grace and weird, and we would draw this morning to look unto you the author and the perfecter, us a fresh and anew, I pray, in jesus name. Amen. The Lord bless you. You were just And the Lord bless you.

I’m going to invite you to turn with me to Luke’s gospel, chapter 1.

She says, Gabriel, there’s this is It’s impossible for me to carry a child. I’m I’ve never known a man. I’m gonna of Mary’s experience with Gabriel. And then we’re going to drop down a few more verses and we’re going to pick up Mary’s song of praise Lord. Look at Luke’s gospel chapter 1.

We’re going to begin reading in verse 26. And in the 6th month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into the city of Galilee named Nazareth man whose name was Joseph of the House of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came in unto her and said, hail thou that art highly favored. The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women. Be The angel said unto her, fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a shall call his name J. R. He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, re and of his kingdom, there shall be no end.

Then Sid Marion to the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forre and of his kingdom, there shall be no end. Then Sid Marion to the angel. How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And man? And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Be because in Elizabeth, own. And this is the 6 month with nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, behold the handmade of the And Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my savior, For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm. He hath scattered the proud and the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath hoping his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever, and Mary abode with her rejoice in the fact that there is nothing that is impossible with God. Are looking at circumstances in their life and saying there is no hope for this situation. We rejoice this morning that with you, all things are possible. I ask this morning that in these next few moments that you would help us as we consider what you want us to do in the periods of time in our lives where we are left to wait with anticipation.

I pray that you would speak truth to our hearts from your word. We ask in Christ’s name. Amen. You may be seated. Last week, I preached to us beginning this series, regarding silently we wait or the world waits.

We silently we wait or the world waits. We talked about waiting patiently for the Lord to work. To you that I was preaching to myself more than I was preaching to anybody else when I preach on the subject of patience or waiting patiently. I think you all probably know that that is not one of my strong virtues in life is waiting. When I was a teenager, I used to listen to some country music and there was a song that I used to listen to and loved.

I’m in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I’ve got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why. But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why. Not a great spiritual song for you on Sunday morning.

There’s a lot of truth to the I find myself, RUSH, a couple weeks ago, right on the bumper of somebody on 178, who saw me coming and deliberately pulled out in front of me. And they didn’t know what the gas pedal was. You know those cattle catchers on the front of a train In a know, there are times in know what I’m talking about? You know, there are times in life that we find ourselves in situations that we just we wanna push our way through. We want to we don’t want to be patient.

We want to move things through. And yet, there are times I think the Lord, not I think, I know, the Lord deliberately shared with us as a congregation, I shared with us as a congregation back in the summer, preached a message on the importance of rest. You. There was one particular day I was on the phone with Sister Parker, Charlotte Parker, and there was some sickness going around in the church and she said, pastor, I just want you to know I’m praying that the Lord will keep you from sickness. I’m leaving it in the Lord’s hands.

If, if he sees that I need to slow. I guess he’ll let me get sick. You know, there are I guess he’ll let me get sick. You know, there are times that the Lord will purposefully allow things to happen in our lives that just put the brakes on and cause us to slow down. Sometimes we’re called to wait.

Our text this morning reminds us that waiting demands occupation. Waiting demands activity. In the process of our waiting, we do something, don’t we? The danger is, is that oftentimes we waste our waiting periods. Maybe I could give you an example of that.

When you go to the doctor’s office and you sign in, you go and take a seat. And when the doctor has already seen 4 patients before you and each patient took an additional 5 minutes extra, and all of a sudden, your appointment is pushed back. What do you do? Some of you pull out your cell phone and you start scrolling through Facebook. Maybe you do more than scroll through Facebook.

Maybe you post on Facebook what a shame it is that you’re stuck waiting. Ouch. Where you pick up a magazine, We, we all do something in the way. Maybe you clip your fingernails or worse, you bite your nails because you’re annoyed. We’re occupied with And yet in that process of waiting, we all are doing something.

We’re occupied with ‘d some lessons that I see that we’d learned about what we should do in our seasons of waiting. We know very, very little about Mary’s background, very little about her family, very little about, where she’s nature. But we know very little about You read secular city of Nazareth. You go back to the Old Testament. Anybody ever read about the city of Nazareth in the Old Testament?

Ever read about the city of Nazareth in the Old Testament? Anybody In fact, you read in the New Testament and you don’t read a whole lot of details about it. Cities. Nazareth is not mentioned. It’s an uncelebrated forgotten city by and large.

It was a place that was off the beaten path. It was a place that, is not memorable in any way because if Again, I mentioned that secular history tells us very little. You read even secular history. And there’s not much about Nazareth that is really known. We know very little about Mary, who’s from Nazareth.

You to take notice just for a moment this morning. Mary comes from a place, if you will, on the other side of the When you hear about Nazareth, you find Nathaniel. Canadian come out of Nazareth. It was known as a what would seem like an obscure family, more than likely just a working class family. There was nothing special about her that really seemingly draw any particular attention to her to be a potential candidate to carry the masai.

I tell you all of that this morning for the purpose that as we evaluate the Christmas story, here’s a young woman who comes from an obscure town, a town on the other side of the tracks, whose world was completely turned upside down that first Christmas. Stories about a star that announced the birth of her child. But we don’t often stop and really consider life of Mary. I want you to notice a couple of things as we explore the activity of the waiting season. The first is the inconvenience of waiting.

I want you to notice, first of all, Mary is just a young woman, more than likely just a teenage girl. More than likely, just a teenage girl. She’s not in any way, a woman who is, been around, has a husband, has experienced much of life. She’s just a young teenage girl. It may not carry a whole lot of weight with us today as much as it did in 1st century Palestine.

But I want you to consider the fact that here’s this woman who comes from or this girl who comes from an obscure family in an obscure place that I just say to our young people and our children this morning, your age is not a reason for which God would not desire to use you for his glory. Amen? God looked at a young woman and said, this is the one through whom I’m gonna allow the Messiah, the one who will bless the world to come through. Young people, God looks at your life and says, you have great value and purpose. Sure, you may look at your life and you’re waiting, aren’t you?

Let me just talk to our young people and children for a moment. I’ve heard some talk about it waiting until they can get it. There are x amount of more sleeps until Christmas. I’ve heard some talk about it waiting until they can get it. They’re not going to be waiting for Christmas.

I know that because I’ve heard it. There are x amount of more sleeps until Christmas. I’ve heard some talk about it waiting until they can get their driver’s license, waiting until they can go to college, waiting until they can get married. You know, in the middle of your waiting season of life, God has purpose for you even now. Maersities, not only is she just a young woman, but she’s betrothed, not yet married in the fullest sense.

Would have They would have looked at a woman who is betrothed. If we can put it in modern terms, we all understand she’s basically engaged. And here she is now, pregnant. Mary is setting aside all of her future that lies ahead for the purpose of fulfilling God’s call in her life. Imagine that.

She accepts the responsibility to carry the Messiah. She knows good and well what this could mean. Angel of the Lord came and spoke to you. -Yeah, Mary. Sure.

Sure. An angel of the Lord came and spoke to you. -An angel of the Lord came and spoke to you. -Yeah, Mary. -Yeah.

-And an angel of the Lord came and spoke to you. Good excuse, but not gonna work. Fact, Matthew records that that’s exactly what Joseph intended to do. Joseph doesn’t believe her account, obviously, because he seeks to put her away, private. Waiting period.

A waiting period, an inconvenience in that process. Here she is, risking her reputation. What will the townspeople say? The townspeople probably responded the same way that Joseph then, Not only that, but she had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem while pregnant. The throes of pregnancy?

Any ladies volunteer in this story? Now, some of you, when you’re near birth and you want the baby to come, you might would do that just to make sure the baby comes. That was not Mary’s in It was a great inconvenience for Caesar to or a census to be taken that would require all of those in Israel to go to their home, where their family was from. Bethlehem was David’s home. That’s why Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem.

I want you to this is a sideline note. I want you to consider a divorcee in the old testament had said that, you know, this is a sideline note. I want you to consider a death Then he sends Gabriel to a woman in Nazareth, 80 to 90 miles from Bethlehem and says, you are going to give birth to the Messiah. But he’s got to get her from Bethlehem or from Nazareth to Bethlehem. So what does he do?

He has Caesar to apply for a census and taxation that would send Mary and Joseph from their home and Nazareth all the way back to the city of David. And is oftentimes the times that God is working behind the scenes to accomplish his glory. Value whatsoever. Why do I have to pack up in the middle of pregnancy and go all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem just to pay taxes, just for the census? Just for the census.

And by the way, you don’t send Rome a note that says, we’ll take a rain check. Can we send this in by a vote absentee ballot? No, it wasn’t an option. Goal. Are times that God’s pathway in your life and in my life will take detours, won’t it?

Passing of a loved one unexpectedly and all of a sudden we’re left alone by ourselves. There’s loss of job that occurs and all of a sudden, we’re left alone by ourselves. There’s loss of job that occurs and all of a sudden the inconvenience is an opportunity for God’s glory to be manifest. A and We look at childbirth from modern standpoint and all of the conveniences. You go to the hospital where you get your own suite.

I just had the opportunity. I look bad back Jonathan’s. You all need to hook up with Jonathan and Rachel if you’re going to have. I went in to visit them and I got to the end of the hall and they had a 2 room I mean, they had their own little a whole room that was just a seating area. Listen, it wasn’t the convenience of That wasn’t the convenience of Mary.

Mary ended up in a stable where animals were housed. Mary ended up in a place where there was no family. Mary’s with a betrothed husband who she has never known in an intimate way. There’s no luxuries of modern and modern conveniences in birth. In fact, in Mary’s day, the death rate was up there, was higher in the birth process.

An inconvenience This what you think is going to be a routine checkup turns into, hey, we we’d like to go to the doctor. And what you think is going to be a routine checkup turns into, hey, we would like you to come back for another test. All right? That happens. You go back for a second test and they say, now, we’re concerned enough.

We want you to come back for a biopsy. And then all of a sudden, the biopsy takes place and you have that waiting period. And you begin to ask yourself, be? Is it going to be good news or is it going to be bad? What do we do in those waiting periods, the inconvenient times of life?

You know, what seems to be inconveniences for us, for you, is really an opportunity for God to be glorified in your life. Because in that waiting period of life that you and I are doing something, we’re engaged in some form of activity. The waiting process isn’t for our convenience or our comfort. But it’s meant for our good and the glory of just suggest to us this morning, the standard We’re all gonna have to wait for things in We experience it everyday, is shaping the person that you are becoming and giving great demonstration of who. Think about it from an earthly perspective.

What do you do while you’re waiting? A lot of times while we’re waiting, we’re finding something to occupy our mind or our attention, aren’t we? I’ll just confess. I’ve been known and guilty of when I come to a stop, right, rather than waste the time sitting there, I’ll pull out my phone. And you so much for years ago showing me a roundabout way.

That has been such a I don’t even care if I have to drive longer as long as I don’t have to sit. I just don’t want to. What do we do in the waiting period? We scroll. We situation.

Will Joseph say? Happen in this birth? What if it means my life? Well, Joseph understand, store. And, of a trial in your life and you’re looking around and saying, And yet, the Lord is in the process of doing greater things in our lives.

Those ways that you and I deal with the periods of time, God is working out as master plan in our lives. And when those things creep up, our fear can reveal to us our lack of faith in God’s goodness, our doubt can become an anxiety, can reveal to us our lack of belief in God’s striven, our trying to manipulate the situations around us, reveal to us, our lack of faith in God’s ability. Our doubt, and the promises of God reveals our lack of faith in the word of God to be sufficient for our lives. Ramps that you and I take, the activities that we turn to in those waiting seasons. But I want you to notice with me very quickly.

Our time is running out. Let me just show to you 2 activities that Mary engages in the waiting season of her life. First is obedience. Obedience. What do you do in the waiting season of life?

Mary obeys the Lord. Messiah. You it’ll be through you that the world is going to be blessed. And Mary said, wow. It seems impossible with man accepts between faith and obedience is unmistakable.

I get weary in a world where there’s a lot of this, well, that’s just legalism, that’s legalism, that’s legalism. All these you gotta do, you gotta do, you gotta That’s just legalism. This whole idea that people that just want to say I have faith, James says, I will show you my faith by my works. Of what we do. And word.

But I’ve never really stopped and contemplated the indigdoras of the word, being not heres of the word only, but doers also, deceiving your and Because for instance, your desire, Aloe, for instance, what the Lord has asked of her. Here’s the second thing that I want you to notice. Mary worships in her, where she worships in her. Mary worships in her, Mary breaks out into song of worship to the Lord as she considers what the Lord has done for a lot of you just have taken time to stop in the middle of the trials and the difficulties and the waiting periods of life and said, in my waiting, I will worship. I will choose to exalt the bravery finds great joy in the midst of this inconvenience of her life, where her world is totally turned up.

So risking her reputation, her life, she’s risking her. But she says, God is worthy to be praised. He’s found me worthy to carry the masaiah. How many times do we look at the inconveniences of life in those periods where the Lord has just put the brakes on in our life, and all of a sudden, we’re behind a slow driver on 170. It isn’t This isn’t comfortable for me.

This worthy of praise. You are doing something far greater than what I can see. And I praise you. And I praise you. And I praise you.

And I praise you. And I praise you. And it begins to worship the cross, the inconvenience of the cross, and found great joy because of what it produces for us. How to do that in the waiting periods of life. Not a matter of us trying to muster up hearts.

But it’s a matter of us coming to the Lord and say, Lord, I don’t understand it all. I don’t get it all. But I do know that you’re good and you’re working out your good will in my life and you’re working out your goodwill in my life and you’re working your glory through me. And so, father, give me a hard of praise. Lift you up in this season of my life.

So morning. We’re all waiting on we’re all in the season of waiting in some waiting for the test raisait wait to come in, waiting for What are we doing in the middle of waiting? Through gripe and try to find ways to draw the help of the holy spirit. God wants to help us in the middle of that weight to just obey him and worship because of what he’s do. And I say, Lord, breathe fresh faith upon us to trust you in the middle of that.

Faith upon us to trust you in the middle of that waiting is not idle. It’s not empty. God accomplishes much in the waiting. Lord, help us this morning to make great use of the opportunities of our weight. Let’s stand together as we close and pray.

Let’s stand together as we close and pray. Father, this morning, our hearts are rejoicing in you to know and often times that comes through our seasons of weight. As we’ve looked at the life of Mary this morning, our hearts are challenged to worship you and to obey you in the middle of inconveniences of life in those seasons where we wait upon. Way they want them to go. And there’s a process of you working your will out in their lives that seems uncomfortable.

To wait upon you. Would you teach us to grow in faith? Would you teach us to worship you in obeyed a our faith, strengthen our faith, use these as that would turn our gaze towards and your Amen. The Lord bless you. You are dismissed.

We have come We have come into his house, and yeah, it is Christ. So forget about yourself. Concentrate the Vow your head with me this morning. Father We do lift up holy hands and worship of who you are. Oh, help us to forget about ourselves concentrate on you and worship you.

Prayer: God, you are worthy of our praise.

You are worthy of all of our praise. You’re worthy of glory and honor and majesty. This morning, we, we want you to know that we love you for first loving us. We love you for sending your son to die on a cross to pay the penalty of our sins, to give us new life, to release us from the captivity of sin to set us free to run-in the ways of your direction. Oh, we worship you today.

I pray this morning in these next few moments as we are opening our hearts and opening your word that Holy Spirit, you would take the words that have been recorded for us and our consideration, you would help those words of truth to We planted and plowed deep into the soil of our hearts so that it would bear forth fruit today. Pray that you would be exalted through the ministry of your word. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen.

Thank you, boys, for reminding us that the lord is worthy of our praise. Let us forget about ourselves and concentrate on him. Amen. Inviting you this morning to turn in your Bible to the book of Psalms. I have mentioned this before, and I just referenced it to my wife again last night.

Ministry of the Psalms

I looked back over the ministry of my preaching over the years. And for many years, the early years of my ministry rarely did I ever preach out of the Psalms? But it seems like in the last year or year and a half, I have been drawn more and more to the book of Psalms for sermon content, there’s some great truth, in the book of Psalms. If you want a great exposition, of Psalm 139. You need to go back about 2 Sunday nights ago.

And Doctor Hutchison spoke, about reasons why we should trust the lord from Psalm 139. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. This morning, we’re considering Psalm 132. I’m gonna invite you to stand with me as we read this Psalm. So I’m 132, beginning in verse 1.

Lord, remember David and all his afflictions how he swore into the lord and vowed into the mighty god of Jacob. Surely, I will not come into the tabernacle of my house. Nor go up into my bed. I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids until I find out a place for the lord and habitation for the mighty god of Jacob. Lo, we heard of it in Afrezza.

We found it in the fields of the wood, We will go into his tabernacles. We will worship at his footstool. Ariso, lord, into thy rest, thou and the arc of thy strength. Let thy priest be clothed with righteousness and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant David’s sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed.

The lord hath sworn in truth and to David, he will not turn from it, of the fruit of thy body, will I set upon thy throne? If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne forevermore. For the lord hath chosen Zion. He have desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever.

Here will I dwell for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation and her saints. Shall shout aloud for joy.

There will I make the horn of David to bud? I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed His enemies, will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish? He may be seated. Psalm 132 is a unique Psalm for several reasons. First of all, it is a part of a series of Psalms that are known as the Psalms of ascent.

Purpose in Reciting the Psalms

These were Psalms that were written and would be recited by the children of Israel’s. They would be making their way up to Jerusalem on feast days. They would be recited by those companies of people that would be, ascending into the city of Jerusalem. Maybe if I could put it into perspective to us today, this is a Psalm that is a part of a body of Psalms that if we were to put it in modern context, you would recite these on your way to church every Sunday morning. How many of you want to go and memorize these Psalms so that as you come to church, you can be reciting these Psalms.

It was a reminder of what the lord has done, and they were Psalms to draw the people’s attention towards god. These Psalms of ascent were divided into 5 different categories, 3 Psalms apiece, this particular Psalm is the first Psalm of the final set of Psalms of ascent. It’s a Psalm that is really the longest of the Psalms of ascent. Now I asked you if you’d like to memorize these. If you just have your Bible open or your Bible app open, you can scroll.

If you have your Bible open, you can flip pages. Some of you don’t know what pages are anymore. You know, what a finger and a scroll is, and you just thumb, down through. But if you look through them, you’ll discover that a lot of the Psalms of sent They’re very short. This one is lengthier.

In fact, it’s the lengthiest, the lengthiest song of ascent. It’s also a historical Psalm. If you paid attention to the reading, it recounts, in its broad spectrum, god’s establishment of the covenant with Israel, all the way back to Abraham. You may not have caught all of that just from reading it. If you follow through the Psalm, you’ll see that, but it doesn’t end.

The Psalm really doesn’t end. Until the book of Revelation. And so, I want for us this morning to look at this particular song, There’s no author that is ascribed to the Psalm of ascent. Some would say that this is a Psalm that David wrote. Some have attributed it to Solomon.

References in to the Psalms

We know that this Psalm has been used in various other passages of scripture, for example. If you were to go to 1st King’s chapter 8, you would discover that some of the words that are penned in this Psalm Solomon recites these words at the dedication of the tabernacle. In fact, this Psalm talks to us about the Tabernacle. This is a Psalm that was also repeated by Jesus, in, I’m sorry, by Peter in his sermon that he preached on the day of Pentecost. He references this Psalm.

Stephen references this Psalm in Acts chapter 7 in his discourse there. The Psalm unveils for us god’s promises that he has given from ages past to ages to come. It’s a beautiful psalm of promise to us. In fact, it’s really broken up in to 3 promises. The first being a promise that David has made to God.

And as you read through it, then you discover that David has made this promise to the lord, but the lord responds with a promise for David. But it ends with a promise to us today, and I want for us to look at this together. The first promise that I want us to consider is the promise that David made to the lord. The Psalm opens with a plea for the lord to remember for David’s sake, the affliction that he endured. Now we all know, I’m sure, the affliction that David experienced in his life and his pursuit to being the king.

He was mocked by his brothers when he went into the camp and discovered that Goliath was mocking the armies of god. And his brothers made fun of him. You’ve only come down here just to see what’s going on. You carry that through and you discover the affliction that David experienced in his ascent to the throne. Saul hated David, wanted this to destroy his life.

And for years, David ran for his own safety. You trace through David’s life and you discover that within his own family, his son sought to usurp his position and David fled from Jerusalem for his life as Absalom sought to take the throne. Then you read about the turmoil within David’s own family, the destruction that was there, but I don’t believe that the psalmist is pointing to those afflictions that, David experienced. I believe what the psalmist is pointing to was David’s passionate concern for the building of a habitation for the lord. And the bringing of the arc of the covenant back into, Jerusalem.

And finding a place for its housing. The arc of the covenant is we read this Psalm plays a central role in all of this. The arc of the covenant was given to Israel as a representation of the place upon which god would come to dwell. If I could carry us for just a moment all the way back into the book of Genesis, God has established a covenant relationship with Abraham. He’s made a promise to Abraham that through his seed all of the world would be blessed.

And that through Abraham, he would build for him a great nation. We carry that all the way down through, and we discover Israel finding their way into, into Egypt at the end of Genesis. And when we pick up in the book of Exodus, we discover that Israel spends over 400 years in captivity. And upon their departure, god comes and he speaks to Moses, he gives them the law but he also gives him the plan for the Tabernacle and the arc of the covenant. And upon that arc of the covenant god comes and he dwells, and you remember the story is The Tabernacle was set up, and the glory of the lord came down and filled that Tabernacle and when Moses would go in to be before the lord and be with the lord, he would come out and his face would shine with such glory.

That were told that he would veil his face that arc that was a representation of this the place that god would come to dwell at this particular juncture is by and large been in obscurity. In fact, if you read through the history of Israel, you come down to the book of judges and you find a tragic scene with the arc of the covenant. You may remember the story. We’re coming out of the period of the judges. It’s a dark period in Israel’s history.

We’re told in first Samuel that there is no word or the word of the lord is precious. It’s rare in the days of Samuel. And you remember the story of how Israel goes into battle against the Philistines and they lose, and they send word to Shiloh that the Israelites have lost. And so Hafna Infineas, Eli, the high priest sons, devise a plan. Let’s take the arc of the covenant.

Let’s use it as a good luck charm. Let’s take it into battle. Israel goes into battle with the arc of the covenant and they lose and the arc of the covenant is taken by the Philistines. Eventually, as a result of the lord cursing the cities of the Philistines, they send it back into Israel. And it’s housed for 20 years in Curieth Durham where it seems to be lost to the children of Israel.

8 miles away from the city of Jerusalem, but it’s in obscurity. David has a passion to bring the arc of the covenant into the city of god into Mount Zion. And so he calls for the arc to be brought back into Jerusalem. And you know the story, no doubt, as it’s being brought up on a cart in disobedience to how the lord has prescribed for the arc to be transported Usa reaches out to steady the arc as it begins to teeter on that cart, and the lord strikes him dead. Talk about reigning on the parade that David had of bringing the arc of the covenant back.

David says we’re not transporting it any farther, and it stays for 3 months with, obed edom, and it’s housed there for 3 months. But eventually, David says, no. Let’s bring the house or bring the arc of the lord back to Jerusalem. And when he brings it back into the city of Jerusalem, This is where our Psalm begins to really pick up. It tells us that David is so burdened about the fact that there is no place to house the arc of the covenant.

David says, I look at my palatial mansion. I look at this house of cedar that I have to dwell in, but there’s nowhere but a tent for the arc of the covenant. And David purposes in his heart and promises to makes a promise to the lord. I’m gonna build a place a housing, a dwelling place for the lord. The section of this Psalm recounts David’s passion to build this permanent house for the lord, the place where the lord can dwell, a place where the ark of the covenant can be placed in for the mercy seat to bring about the presence of the lord.

He wouldn’t rest, he says, until that happens. You know the account. You know the story. The lord says to David through the prophet, no, David, you’re not to you’re not the man to do that. Now imagine if you have a passion to do something, and now the lord reigns on your parade.

I have a feeling there are probably some of us that would just go back home, and we’d pout, say, well, I had a desire to do it, but I’m not allowed to do it. David didn’t do that, did he? No. David put everything in place. He goes out.

He begins to he buys up the property where the house of the lord would be built. He goes to the nations and begins to collect all of the goods. He puts everything into place. Reminds me quite a bit. A number of years ago, those of you that are new to EBMC, you wouldn’t know the name JD Smith.

Buying up property

Many of you would. A number of years ago, as the church was in the process of making preparations for the building of this new facility. Brother Smith was a part of that committee. And he had in mind a piece of property that he thought we need to build here. It was over off of 135.

And he encouraged the purchase of that property. It was eventually chosen that this place right here along Gentry Memorial Highway would be the place that we’d build. When the vote came down that this would be the property we would build and brother Smith was out voted, Rather Smith pulled out his checkbook and wrote a $1000 check, and he said, I want to be the first person. To put money down on the purchase of that new property. Reminds me a lot of David in this Psalm He says, look, the lord may say, no, I can’t do it, but I’m going to do everything necessary to put into place the building of a permanent habitation for the lord.

Passion for the House of God

David’s passion for the house of god speaks to us, I believe, in at least two ways. Wanna believe that you and I should have a passionate drive to enjoy god’s presence in our own lives that our hearts would truly be the place his dwelling. Amen? Yes. And second, we should have a passionate desire that the blessing and the benefit of the house of god would be for us as a community of believers.

Listen, I can’t stress to us the importance that as long as we live on this earth, you and I need this church. Amen? You and I need the fellowship of the community of believers. And David recognized the importance of a place of dwelling for the lord to dwell. And he had a passion for it as you and I should have a passion.

Charles Spurgeon said, he said, I wish that this same zeal would take firm hold of all Christians. How many there are who dwell in their ceilinged houses while the house of god lies waste. They can provide abundantly for themselves, but for god’s cause, for god’s gospel, for a place wherein the poor may meet for the preaching of the word, they do not seem to take care. Oh, may that not be true of our lives? May you and I have a similar passion in our hearts as David promised to the lord, I want to build to you house.

May you and I have a similar promise that says, lord, I desire to build your house, your church, your kingdom. What is your passion for the house for the lord this morning. David’s passion drove him to make promises to god. What about for us? The second section of this Psalm tells us about the promise of David.

From David’s Promise to God & God’s Promise to David

I’m sorry. The first section of this Psalm tells us about the promise of David to the lord, but the second section tells us about the promise to David. In verse 10, if you have your Bible still open, I want you to notice this. David makes a promise to the lord. I want to build to you a house.

I’m going to I’m not going to let slumber or sleep come to me until I’ve done something about this until I’ve brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem until I’ve found a dwelling place for the lord because of David’s promise to the lord. The lord responds with a promise to David. Look at it. For the sake of David, your servant, do not turn away the face of your anointed The lord has sworn to David a truth from which he will not turn back. The fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.

If your sons will keep my covenant and my testimony, which I will teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever. The promise that god gives to David is twofold One is based on a condition. The other is unconditional. If you looked at it this morning, you will notice that the first promise that he made was the unconditional. The second was the conditional.

I’d like to start with the conditional promise, if you will. The conditional promise was that the sons of David would be the ones who would be seated on the thrown in Jerusalem as long as they kept the covenant of the lord. If you follow Israel’s history, sadly, David’s sons did not keep the covenant of the lord. Sadly, for Israel’s history, you read through the remainder of the old testament and you find that this the nation of Israel divides And it’s not long until Judah, the southern kingdom, the place where Jerusalem was at. Was eventually overrun in 586 BC by nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians.

And the last king of David’s line Hezekiah was taken into captivity, and there would never again be a son of David to sit. On the throne in Israel and the city of Jerusalem. A tragedy. Reminds me this morning of the importance for you and I to keep the commandments of the lord or suffer the consequences of rejection of his promises. But there was an unconditional promise made to David.

Wasn’t there? God said to David, there will be one who will sit on your throne forever. And that was realized in the person of Jesus. God made this unconditional promise. The lord has sworn to David a truth from which he will not turn back the fruit of your body, I will set upon your throne.

While for years, after the last king of David’s line, had been had disappeared. The lord sent in the fullness of time, his son listened to what Paul writes to the Galatians But when the fullness of time came, god sent forth his son, born of a woman born under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons because you are sons, god has sent forth the spirit of his son into hearts crying Abba father, hallelujah. Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through god what a wonderful promise you and I have received through the promise that god gave to David. You and I are reaping this morning the promises of god.

You say, pastor, what are you trying to say to us? If there’s anything that I want you to catch this morning is I want for us to live in light of the promise. The promise that god gave through David is that you and I have reaped the advantage of becoming the sons of god through Jesus Christ. The unconditional promise that god made today that has great bearing on us today because of the promise made to David regarding the Messiah as a promise that was made to you. And to me.

I believe as we wrap up the final element of this Psalm, you begin to see the promises of god that are for us through the promises that came to David. The psalmist closes this particular Psalm with a reminder that god has chosen Jerusalem to be the place of his habitation. Now that seems odd to me. When I read the rest of scripture. Does it you?

 Heaven is God’s Throne: Isaiah 66

Let me just read to you, Psalm, 60, I’m sorry, Isaiah chapter 66. Thus says the lord, heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where then is a house that you could build for me. Where’s a place that I may rest? The Bible tells us that the lord dwells in all places.

And in Isaiah, recounts the words of god. Where can you build me a place that I can rest? And yet, David has desired to build a Tabernacle, a temple, a place where the lord can find a resting place. The truth is currently the lord dwells within our hearts. Amen?

That’s the dwelling place where the lord resides presently, but can I tell you that this Psalm reminds us that there’s even more yet to come? There is more that is yet to come about the place of Israel. There’s a present tense comfort that you and I can have in that Christ can dwell within our hearts by faith but can I remind you what Peter tells us in his first letter, chapter 3, beginning in verse 8, but do not let this one fact escape your notice beloved that with the lord one day is like a 1000 years and a 1000 years like one day, the lord is not slow concerning his promise? As some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance Listen to me this morning, the promises that the lord has made to us are sure instead fast. Do you feel like the lord has forgotten about his promise?

To be your helper? Do you feel like he has forgotten you and has left you where you are? Do you feel like he is sealed up heaven and barred you from entering therein? I have good news for you this morning, church. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verses 1920 for the son of god, Christ Jesus, who is preached among you by us by me and by Sylvanius and Timothy was not yes and no, but is yes in him.

Listen to this. For as many as are the promises of god in him, they are yes. Aren’t you glad that the promises of the lord to us today are always yes, and amen. Therefore, also through him is our amen to the glory of god through us. The promises that god made to David, that he would seek one upon his throne that would dwell forever Is a reminder of a promise to us that the lord dwells with us today

Yes. He dwells in our hearts, but can I just complete the rest of this Psalm? Because the Psalm reminds us that god has a dwelling place in Jerusalem. Amen? Right now, we’re witnessing upheaval in the world around us, particularly in the Middle East.

You look at the Middle East and what’s going on there and you look at the nation of Israel and you look at the nations around them that hate Israel, and have literally, in some cases, their guns trained upon the country of Israel. Can I just remind us this morning? That’s god’s holy place. The city of Jerusalem is god’s holy city. When I read the headlines and I hear the rise of anti Semitic rhetoric around the world, It almost seems as if god has abandoned Israel, but he’s not.

He is never slack concerning his promises. His promises as his promises to us are always yes in Amen. Can I tell you this morning god hasn’t abandoned his dwelling place? He’s simply getting it ready for his permanent occupation. I I’m not a prophet.

Not a son of a prophet, but I know this much the lord is shaping up things in our world today. The things that are happening in our world today are in preparation for the lord’s final fulfillment of the promise that was made in, Psalm 132. Listen to what John writes to us in Revelation chapter 21. Let me just remind us of the promises that are ours in Christ Jesus because the promises that were made in Psalm 132 are promises for us. Listen to what John recorded Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.

For the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there’s no longer any Sea, and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold, the tabernacle of god is with men. Did you catch that this morning? The tabernacle of god is with us. The tabernacle is with us, and he will dwell among them.

And they shall be his people, and god himself will be among them. And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no longer any death. There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away and he who sets up upon the throne said behold, I’m making all things new. And he said, right, for these are words that are faithful and true.

Then he said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the springs of water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his god, and he will be my son. I say to us this morning, Hallelujah for the promises of god that are sure instead fast.

I know we’re living in a world that sometimes we look at and we scratch our heads and we wonder What in the world is god doing in the world around us? Can I just tell you? He’s fulfilling his promises. He’s fulfilling his promises, church. Oh, that you and I will live in light of the promises that are ours today.

Sure the enemy will come and bring fear and doubt and question, but the promises of god to us are yes in Amen to the glory of god. Can I encourage us this morning? Let’s live in light of promises that are ours today. Let’s stand together. Father, this morning, we rejoice in the promises of god that have been given to us.

Thank you for the promise that you gave to David. Who had a passion to build a dwelling place for you, a place that you would have a habitation Lord, this morning, you promised to David that you would have one who would sit on his throne forever. And this morning, we rejoice in knowing that Jesus Christ is seated on the throne. We rejoice in knowing that that throne will be a throne that will be forever. This morning, lord, we rejoice in the promises of what is to come Right now, you’re making preparation and ready heaven for us.

We rejoice in knowing this morning that your promise is that you’re gonna bring the new Jerusalem down and that we, your children, can dwell with you. Oh, help us this morning to live in light of promises. Help us to live our lives, worthy of the calling, wherewith we’ve been called father, we delight in you today. We love you. We thank you for the promises that you’ve given to us.

Oh, may you give us grace? May you give us courage? May you give us strength to live in the light of those promises? I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. The lord bless you. You are dismissed.