100:00:00,360 –> 00:00:09,000You can’t be a better Father than God.200:00:09,000 –> 00:00:14,000You can’t do a better job of raising a child than God does.300:00:14,000 –> 00:00:19,200God raised children and they rebelled against him.400:00:19,500 –> 00:00:23,000Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I am David Pick.500:00:23,000 –> 00:00:27,000I am so glad you could be with us today and Colin for anyone who is struggling to600:00:27,000 –> 00:00:28,400raise up children700:00:28,400 –> 00:00:32,400maybe this is a comforting thought. Yes, you know this scripture in Isaiah800:00:32,400 –> 00:00:35,580Chapter 1 is to me the most helpful900:00:35,580 –> 00:00:40,380verse in all of the Bible for a father or for a mother who is grieving1000:00:40,380 –> 00:00:43,759over a son or a daughter who is in rebellion1100:00:43,759 –> 00:00:47,160and God says I raised children1200:00:47,160 –> 00:00:51,639and they rebelled against me. Well, you can’t be a better father1300:00:51,639 –> 00:00:57,160than God is, so this speaks I think a tremendous comfort and a tremendous help1400:00:57,160 –> 00:00:58,779to parents who are in pain1500:00:58,779 –> 00:01:03,119and of course it also brings a word of hope because God doesn’t abandon his1600:01:03,119 –> 00:01:07,360rebellious children and our prayer is that God will not abandon1700:01:07,360 –> 00:01:11,199our rebellions children but that he will win them back and that we will see1800:01:11,199 –> 00:01:13,480stories of grace that are yet to happen.1900:01:13,480 –> 00:01:17,360Today we’re starting a series which is all about that we’re calling it2000:01:17,360 –> 00:01:20,559how God changes his people and his church2100:01:20,559 –> 00:01:23,919and it is taken from the opening chapter off Isaiah2200:01:23,919 –> 00:01:27,540where we find God’s people in a dreadful position and really they are2300:01:27,540 –> 00:01:29,059far from the Lord2400:01:29,059 –> 00:01:32,480and God never lets them go, he redeems them and2500:01:32,480 –> 00:01:36,360this God never changes and so it’s a great story of hope for us today.2600:01:36,360 –> 00:01:40,900As you heard were looking at Isaiah chapter 1 as we begin the message2700:01:40,900 –> 00:01:42,559rebellion, here’s Colin.2800:01:42,559 –> 00:01:46,080Now if you have your Bible open up at Isaiah chapter 12900:01:46,080 –> 00:01:49,519I want to draw your attention to what I think is one of the most striking3000:01:49,519 –> 00:01:52,320statements from the mouth of God3100:01:52,320 –> 00:01:55,940in all of the Old Testament. It’s in verse 23200:01:55,940 –> 00:02:00,720God says, children have I reared3300:02:00,720 –> 00:02:05,279and brought up but they have rebelled3400:02:05,279 –> 00:02:08,300against me.3500:02:08,300 –> 00:02:12,679Think about this, God says I raised up children3600:02:12,679 –> 00:02:16,240but they have rebelled against3700:02:16,240 –> 00:02:21,039me, God said that. Now immediately some observations from that the first of3800:02:21,139 –> 00:02:23,580course is that God has children3900:02:23,580 –> 00:02:27,440and the reference here to the children God had raised is of course to the4000:02:27,440 –> 00:02:28,740nation of Israel4100:02:28,740 –> 00:02:32,320remember, God had brought the twelve tribes descended from the4200:02:32,320 –> 00:02:37,139sons of Jacob out of slavery he had adopted them as his own children he had4300:02:37,139 –> 00:02:38,820made a national covenant4400:02:38,820 –> 00:02:42,100with Israel in which he said I will be your God4500:02:42,100 –> 00:02:45,860and you will be my people and God raised4600:02:45,860 –> 00:02:49,500these children, children have I reared and brought4700:02:50,479 –> 00:02:54,059these children with whom God had made this covenant was the4800:02:54,059 –> 00:02:57,139where the focus of his constant attention and of his4900:02:57,139 –> 00:03:01,100fatherly care as any parent God bonded5000:03:01,100 –> 00:03:05,880with them, he invested himself in them, he gave himself to them5100:03:05,880 –> 00:03:09,880to these children and he did it like any parent with great gladness5200:03:09,880 –> 00:03:15,380because they were indeed his children by the way how much does it cost to raise a5300:03:15,380 –> 00:03:15,979child5400:03:16,460 –> 00:03:22,139I googled that this week and here’s the answer, the average cost5500:03:22,139 –> 00:03:26,259of raising a child, this is a child born in 20135600:03:26,259 –> 00:03:30,740so it’s projecting forward a child born in 2013 for you to raise that5700:03:30,740 –> 00:03:32,619child to the age of eighteen5800:03:32,619 –> 00:03:36,539in a middle-income family in the US according to the Department of5900:03:36,539 –> 00:03:38,619Agriculture last year says6000:03:38,619 –> 00:03:42,139that that will cost you two hundred and forty five thousand6100:03:42,139 –> 00:03:45,699dollars or if you adjust it for inflation6200:03:45,699 –> 00:03:50,300three hundred and four thousand dollars6300:03:50,300 –> 00:03:53,699now it is it is the Department of Agriculture so presumably they thought6400:03:53,699 –> 00:03:55,259that the parents would be6500:03:55,259 –> 00:03:58,339feeding the children steak every night6600:03:58,339 –> 00:04:02,679and presumably there is some kind of economy of scale for larger6700:04:02,679 –> 00:04:05,559families on this in that it does include6800:04:05,559 –> 00:04:10,580housing and includes transport but it’s still a staggering figure6900:04:10,580 –> 00:04:13,820according to the US government in August7000:04:14,759 –> 00:04:20,480years no small thing to raise a child and everywhere it is a costly business7100:04:20,480 –> 00:04:25,119and so to all of the children to all of the young people and even as we become7200:04:25,119 –> 00:04:28,519older in regards to your parents let me say this word today7300:04:28,519 –> 00:04:33,420honoured your father and your mother that your day’s may be7400:04:33,420 –> 00:04:38,980long upon the air younger folks you have no idea what it costs your mother to7500:04:38,980 –> 00:04:40,279bring you into the world7600:04:40,880 –> 00:04:48,600hold her in the highest honour show to her the deepest respect and affection7700:04:48,600 –> 00:04:54,119and surround her with your love and what you do for your mother do for your7800:04:54,119 –> 00:05:01,359father as well now this relationship is what God is speaking about here in7900:05:01,359 –> 00:05:03,480regards to his own children8000:05:03,480 –> 00:05:08,239think about how God’s children were the object of his constant care his loving8100:05:08,239 –> 00:05:10,079affection he gave them a home8200:05:10,079 –> 00:05:14,299that is he brought them into the land of Canaan he provided for them when they8300:05:14,299 –> 00:05:17,179had nothing in the desert and then he brought them into a land that was8400:05:17,179 –> 00:05:21,160flowing with milk and honey and gave to them an abundance he guided them in all8500:05:21,160 –> 00:05:24,160of their ways the pillar of fire the pillar of cloud8600:05:24,160 –> 00:05:27,640he guarded them and protected them from all of their enemies8700:05:27,640 –> 00:05:32,140God did all of these things as a loving father for all of the children he had8800:05:32,140 –> 00:05:38,440raised but notice what he says here verse 2, God’s children rebel against8900:05:38,440 –> 00:05:38,720him9000:05:39,079 –> 00:05:43,220I raised children but they have rebelled against me9100:05:43,220 –> 00:05:48,140and the emphasis is on in this verse is on the they9200:05:48,140 –> 00:05:52,500I raised children and they rebelled against me I mean of all the people in9300:05:52,500 –> 00:05:57,519the world the ones for whom I’ve provided so much the ones I have blessed9400:05:57,519 –> 00:06:03,359in so many obvious ways the ones on whom I have lavished such love and care and9500:06:03,359 –> 00:06:07,720personal attention they have rebelled9600:06:07,880 –> 00:06:16,959against me now this is a very helpful and wonderful verse for parents who are9700:06:16,959 –> 00:06:21,700in pain and there will be those within the congregation who will immediately9800:06:21,700 –> 00:06:25,799say that’s the verse that I need to take hold of right now here’s your9900:06:25,799 –> 00:06:30,619situation God gave you a son a daughter you’ve loved them you’ve raised them10000:06:30,619 –> 00:06:36,700but now your son your daughter has rebelled against you and what we’re10100:06:36,920 –> 00:06:41,339learning here is that God himself knows what that is like he knows the10200:06:41,339 –> 00:06:44,399experience that you are facing right now10300:06:44,399 –> 00:06:50,799God’s rebel children don’t want to listen to him say why does it say inverse10400:06:50,799 –> 00:06:56,619to here Oh heavens and give ear o earth for the Lord has spoken why is God10500:06:56,619 –> 00:06:59,739speaking to the heaven and the earth when he’s actually addressing his10600:06:59,739 –> 00:07:04,799children the answer is that the children aren’t listening Matthew Henry says10700:07:05,119 –> 00:07:09,239despairing of gaining an audience with his own children God addresses himself10800:07:09,239 –> 00:07:17,239instead to the heavens and to the earth and God’s two rebel children not only10900:07:17,239 –> 00:07:21,440are they not listening to him they really don’t want to know him that’s11000:07:21,440 –> 00:07:27,760verse three the ox knows its owner and the donkey it’s masters crib but Israel11100:07:27,799 –> 00:07:34,720does not know my people do not understand so there’s something even11200:07:34,720 –> 00:07:38,779against the course of nature here that’s what God is saying even in the animal11300:07:38,779 –> 00:07:44,040kingdom the ox and the donkey they know where their food comes from they have an11400:07:44,040 –> 00:07:48,140awareness of that they know who their owner and their master is but God’s11500:07:48,140 –> 00:07:51,839children to whom he has provided so much and on whom he has lavished this11600:07:52,760 –> 00:08:00,380they don’t even know him they have this most strangely distorted ideas about him11700:08:00,380 –> 00:08:05,399if you’re a parent in pain you may find that this is part of your experience11800:08:05,399 –> 00:08:11,299that here this son or this daughter has a view of you that is altogether11900:08:11,299 –> 00:08:16,239different from reality and you say now where in the world did that come from12000:08:16,239 –> 00:08:22,799they don’t know him and they don’t want to know him they are estranged from him12100:08:22,799 –> 00:08:30,660look at verse 4 they have forsaken him worse than that they despise him and so12200:08:30,660 –> 00:08:36,880they are, verse four estranged from him in other words there is no interest in12300:08:36,880 –> 00:08:40,559the lives of these children in a real relationship all they want from the12400:08:40,960 –> 00:08:47,179father is what they can get from him no no affection no no real interest in any12500:08:47,179 –> 00:08:53,020relationship and you really come read these verses without feeling the great12600:08:53,020 –> 00:09:02,119pathos in the heart of God I raised children and they have rebelled against12700:09:02,219 –> 00:09:10,419me and if this is your experience then you will probably know what it is a12800:09:10,419 –> 00:09:14,059mother and a father to look at each other and say what in the world did we12900:09:14,059 –> 00:09:21,020do wrong what did we do that was so wrong and of course there are no13000:09:21,020 –> 00:09:25,460perfect parents and all of us who are given the trust and the privilege of13100:09:25,460 –> 00:09:28,159raising children look back and see things that we might have done13200:09:28,159 –> 00:09:32,659differently and better and so forth and so on but i want to give you this from13300:09:32,659 –> 00:09:38,580the bible for your help and for your encouragement today listen you can’t be13400:09:38,580 –> 00:09:47,159a better father than God you can’t be a better father than God you can’t do a13500:09:47,159 –> 00:09:54,380better job of raising a child than God does God raised children and they13600:09:55,099 –> 00:10:00,419against him now this is very important for the help and for the comfort of13700:10:00,419 –> 00:10:06,059parents who find themselves in times of pain and of distress God knows your pain13800:10:06,059 –> 00:10:11,820he is a father and he knows this pain in his own heart and knowing that children13900:10:11,820 –> 00:10:16,900raised even by the most perfect father chose to rebel against him will be of14000:10:16,900 –> 00:10:22,179some help if you should go through these deep waters of your children rebelling14100:10:22,179 –> 00:10:26,979against you so I find this one of the most remarkable statements in the Old14200:10:26,979 –> 00:10:34,239Testament coming directly from the mouth of God you’re listening to open the14300:10:34,239 –> 00:10:38,700Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called rebellion it’s from our14400:10:38,700 –> 00:10:45,179new series 180 degrees how God changes his people and his church if you ever14500:10:45,179 –> 00:10:48,539miss one of the series you can always catch up or go back and14600:10:48,539 –> 00:10:54,380listen again online come to our website open the Bibleorg.uk there you’ll14700:10:54,380 –> 00:10:58,739find all the messages which have already gone out on air you can also find our14800:10:58,739 –> 00:11:03,099messages as podcasts and those are available on all the main podcast sites14900:11:03,099 –> 00:11:08,299search for open the Bible UK and subscribe if you want to receive regular15000:11:08,299 –> 00:11:13,359updates back to the message now here’s Colin now why are we looking at these15100:11:14,280 –> 00:11:21,059chapter in these weeks that we share together three reasons first we’re15200:11:21,059 –> 00:11:28,599looking at these words because they speak to our nation Israel had been15300:11:28,599 –> 00:11:33,979blessed as a nation of all the nations in the earth they carried the name of15400:11:33,979 –> 00:11:39,719God they experienced the blessing of God and now we’re being told in Isaiah15500:11:39,719 –> 00:11:45,599chapter 1 that they turned away from God now I think that that speaks very15600:11:45,599 –> 00:11:51,719obviously to our nation today I am not of course drawing a direct15700:11:51,719 –> 00:11:56,780parallel between Israel and America God made a covenant with Israel that he has15800:11:56,780 –> 00:12:02,200never made with any other nation but surely there is some sense as we apply15900:12:02,200 –> 00:12:08,280the scriptures to ourselves that in some sense this country has throughout its16000:12:08,719 –> 00:12:12,780carried the name of the Lord Every time you take out a dollar bill it says on16100:12:12,780 –> 00:12:17,520the back in God we trust and the reference there has been to the God of16200:12:17,520 –> 00:12:24,039the Bible carried his name and as a nation it is beyond dispute that God has16300:12:24,039 –> 00:12:30,260blessed us in extraordinary and in very very wonderful ways and also it is16400:12:30,260 –> 00:12:35,099beyond dispute surely that as a nation we are increasingly turning away from16500:12:36,059 –> 00:12:43,280God an increasing number of Americans do not want to listen to God they don’t16600:12:43,280 –> 00:12:48,239want him to be in their lives I mean just to give you a little snap shot of16700:12:48,239 –> 00:12:52,119that just in the time folks that I’ve been in this country since our family16800:12:52,119 –> 00:12:56,940came here which is nearly 20 years ago so not a teribly long time but in the16900:12:56,940 –> 00:13:01,619time that we’ve been in this country the attendance at church on an average17000:13:01,780 –> 00:13:08,280weekend has dropped by half it’s been cut in half it was 35% of the17100:13:08,299 –> 00:13:15,659population in 1999 it’s 17% estimated today half just in that period of time17200:13:15,659 –> 00:13:19,979that’s one reason why there’s such a critical need for Christian mission in17300:13:19,979 –> 00:13:24,000America today we thank God with a full congregation that the orchard has17400:13:24,000 –> 00:13:27,380doubled in size during that period of time but when you look at the bigger17500:13:27,460 –> 00:13:32,640picture those who are attending churches across the nation cut in half that’s why17600:13:32,640 –> 00:13:37,739the mission of those who really believe is so critical to the life of our17700:13:37,739 –> 00:13:42,479country that we love so much as a nation it could be said of us in large measure17800:13:42,479 –> 00:13:46,380that having carried the name of the Lord and having experienced the blessing of17900:13:46,380 –> 00:13:51,799the Lord we are in increasing measure forsaking the Lord despising the Holy18000:13:51,799 –> 00:13:58,179One and becoming utterly estranged verse for secondly we’re looking at these18100:13:58,179 –> 00:14:01,900verses of the Bible because they speak not only to the nation but also to the18200:14:01,900 –> 00:14:07,119church these are words of course that were spoken in the first instance to18300:14:07,119 –> 00:14:14,500God’s people and is there a sense in which these words speak to the church18400:14:14,500 –> 00:14:20,000today is there a sense in which the church in America today is moving away18500:14:20,059 –> 00:14:29,039from being centred in God yes I think there is in large measure Christianity18600:14:29,039 –> 00:14:35,200in America is becoming more and more about us bottom line for thinking about18700:14:35,200 –> 00:14:40,640strategy for churches more and more becomes what do people want why because18800:14:40,640 –> 00:14:44,840the center of interest is more in fulfilling people’s desires than in18900:14:44,859 –> 00:14:50,320obeying God’s commands center of gravity is more what are we looking for what do19000:14:50,320 –> 00:14:53,739we want then seriously asking the question what does the Lord require of19100:14:53,739 –> 00:14:59,719us and then thirdly we’re looking at these verses in these weeks because they19200:14:59,719 –> 00:15:05,380speak also to us in the most personal way and of course this is always true19300:15:05,380 –> 00:15:10,520every time we open the Bible God is calling us to examine our own hearts19400:15:10,799 –> 00:15:15,239and it starts with the one who speaks and all of us who here we see what’s19500:15:15,239 –> 00:15:20,080wrong in the world we see trends and drifts within the church and then what19600:15:20,080 –> 00:15:24,380we have to do is we have to examine our own hearts and when we do we will often19700:15:24,380 –> 00:15:31,760find the the roots of the same sins that we see in others are actually hiding in19800:15:31,760 –> 00:15:38,280our own hearts as well so I say chapter 1 which really is a kind of something in19900:15:38,280 –> 00:15:43,359many ways of the message of the entire book is of huge importance as a message20000:15:43,359 –> 00:15:46,719to the nation a message to the church and a message to every one of us20100:15:46,719 –> 00:15:52,599individually today now I want you to look with me if you would at the20200:15:52,599 –> 00:16:01,580portrait that were given here of God’s rebel children verse four first20300:16:01,580 –> 00:16:11,020description that they are layed in with iniquity a sinful nature a nation a20400:16:11,020 –> 00:16:17,140people laden with inequity they have forsaken the Lord they have despised the20500:16:17,140 –> 00:16:24,200Holy One of Israel and they are utterly estranged there is striking phrase20600:16:24,200 –> 00:16:30,820isn’t it laid on with inequity speaks of weight it speaks of a burden that is20700:16:30,820 –> 00:16:40,979being carried imagine every sin to be a stone and every sin that a person has20800:16:40,979 –> 00:16:47,039committed then is put into a bag and the bag is carried on the person’s shoulders20900:16:47,039 –> 00:16:53,239and over time the weight of what is carried the weight of guilt that remains21000:16:53,239 –> 00:16:59,460upon this person becomes heavier and heavier it weighs the person down21100:16:59,539 –> 00:17:09,839laden with iniquity and these children are are described here as as children21200:17:09,839 –> 00:17:16,319who deal corruptly, children who deal corruptly, what does that mean to deal21300:17:16,319 –> 00:17:21,719corruptly means you can’t be trusted it means that you say things but you don’t21400:17:21,719 –> 00:17:26,319actually do them and and you lose the respect of people and the trust of21500:17:26,719 –> 00:17:32,280people because they don’t know if you’re going to actually follow through so here21600:17:32,280 –> 00:17:37,359you are carrying this increasing burden and here you are and you’re losing trust21700:17:37,359 –> 00:17:42,959and why is this happening they have forsaken the Lord they’ve moved away21800:17:42,959 –> 00:17:49,400from the Lord they have despised the Holy One of Israel fascinating phrase21900:17:49,400 –> 00:17:55,199that is here God’s rebel children why do they resist holiness why do people not22000:17:55,479 –> 00:18:00,359move in the direction of holiness because they resist the Holy One they22100:18:00,359 –> 00:18:05,479loved God did pursue holiness but there’s a deep resistance to the Holy22200:18:05,479 –> 00:18:12,719One and that manifests itself in a dislike of holiness they despise it and22300:18:12,719 –> 00:18:18,920then they become utterly estranged that of course means not speaking to be22400:18:18,920 –> 00:18:22,920estranged from a person means you don’t see them it means you don’t want to see22500:18:22,959 –> 00:18:27,800them it means you have no communication with them and that’s how it is for these22600:18:27,800 –> 00:18:35,719rebel children towards God they are laden with iniquity. Second description22700:18:35,719 –> 00:18:40,400you’ve seen the first picture the burden that’s weighing them down second picture22800:18:40,400 –> 00:18:47,119even more vivid they are bruised and they are bleeding verses five and six22900:18:47,160 –> 00:18:55,680why will you still be struck down why will you continue to rebel the whole23000:18:55,680 –> 00:19:04,680head is sick so here’s the head it can’t think straight doesn’t reason well23100:19:04,680 –> 00:19:09,680there’s been a losing of the connection between actions and consequences23200:19:09,680 –> 00:19:14,579and the heart the whole heart is feint here’s a person who’s worn out23300:19:14,719 –> 00:19:21,739of energy flagging and then try and picture this in your mind from the sole23400:19:21,739 –> 00:19:31,060of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it but bruises and sores23500:19:31,060 –> 00:19:42,739and raw wounds that are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil so23600:19:42,760 –> 00:19:50,599picture this body of this burdened person and all over from head to toe23700:19:50,599 –> 00:19:57,140there are these open wounds bruises and they’re not pressed out what does that23800:19:57,140 –> 00:20:02,359mean it means that the infection has not being cleaned from them the pus23900:20:02,359 –> 00:20:10,319remains and so these old wounds from the past keep re-infecting it’s a very24000:20:10,479 –> 00:20:14,380powerful description isn’t it can’t ever get over the old wounds of the past they24100:20:14,380 –> 00:20:21,119keep re-infecting because they’ve never actually been healed and they’re not24200:20:21,119 –> 00:20:27,239bound up in and softened with oil in other words on the surface the skin has24300:20:27,239 –> 00:20:31,239dried out and it has hardened there’s no ointment that’s been placed on it24400:20:31,239 –> 00:20:35,280there’s no bandaging that there’s nothing that has caused the flesh to24500:20:35,719 –> 00:20:41,199the wound and so the flesh remains opened hard brittle and the wound24600:20:41,199 –> 00:20:46,060continues to separate and it’s like that form head to toe it’s a horrible24700:20:46,060 –> 00:20:52,500picture third alone and vulnerable verse 8 the daughter of Zion and here are24800:20:52,500 –> 00:20:59,780three pictures is left like a booth in a vineyard it’s a little sort of shack24900:20:59,780 –> 00:21:04,319that’s quickly constructed in the middle of a vineyard like a Lodge in a25000:21:04,420 –> 00:21:11,239cucumber field or like a besieged city three pictures and all of them with the25100:21:11,239 –> 00:21:19,880same impact it’s a picture of being alone surrounded here’s a guy and he’s25200:21:19,880 –> 00:21:24,160in the middle of this vast vineyard and he’s just there on his own and25300:21:24,160 –> 00:21:29,599surrounded I was another person is in a little hut me surrounded by a field of25400:21:30,280 –> 00:21:36,000or cucumbers and someone else sees alone in a big city and and is surrounded by25500:21:36,000 –> 00:21:45,599an army very interesting be nicer to be surrounded by grapes than a hostile army25600:21:45,599 –> 00:21:50,500I would have thought but you know at the end of the day if you are on your own it25700:21:50,500 –> 00:21:53,540doesn’t really matter too much weather you’re surrounded by all the money in25800:21:53,540 –> 00:21:56,680the world or all the enemies in the world25900:21:56,719 –> 00:22:04,239the picture here is of being alone of being vulnerable of being isolated or26000:22:04,239 –> 00:22:10,439being surrounded now that’s the picture God’s26100:22:10,439 –> 00:22:25,000rebel children laden with iniquity bleeding and bruised alone and surrounded26200:22:26,000 –> 00:22:30,599you’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on open the Bible and a message26300:22:30,599 –> 00:22:35,760called rebellion it’s from our new series 180 degrees how God changes his26400:22:35,760 –> 00:22:40,520people and his church in this series we’re looking at God’s people in the26500:22:40,520 –> 00:22:45,760book of Isaiah the Nation of Israel how they fell where they found hope and how26600:22:45,760 –> 00:22:49,979God restores his people and of course this includes us as Christians in the26700:22:49,979 –> 00:22:54,959church today when we become unfaithful to him so I hope you’ll stay with us for26800:22:54,959 –> 00:22:59,280the rest of the series if you do ever miss any of the series or if you want to26900:22:59,280 –> 00:23:03,619go back and listen again you can do that by coming online to our website open27000:23:03,619 –> 00:23:08,660thebible.org UK open the Bible is supported27100:23:08,660 –> 00:23:13,099entirely by the generous gifts of our listeners and if that’s something you’ve27200:23:13,099 –> 00:23:18,020been considering to do then we have an offer for you this month if you’re able27300:23:18,020 –> 00:23:22,660to set up a new direct debit to the work of open the Bible in the amount of 527400:23:23,359 –> 00:23:29,060or more or a gift of £50 or more we’d love to say thank you by sending27500:23:29,060 –> 00:23:35,319you three copies of Pastor Colin Smith’s devotional green pastures still waters27600:23:35,319 –> 00:23:40,739comfort in dark times from Psalm 23 Colin this devotional comes from a27700:23:40,739 –> 00:23:45,099sermon series that you preached a while back and as you prepared for the series27800:23:45,099 –> 00:23:49,500what was the main thing you took away from it oh that single word27900:23:49,780 –> 00:23:54,479encouragement I mean I can’t think of any better place to go when a person28000:23:54,479 –> 00:23:59,739feels down or jaded or just a generally exhausted if you need encouragement28100:23:59,739 –> 00:24:05,859Psalm 23 is the place to go and God has been using this psalm to encourage His28200:24:05,859 –> 00:24:10,760people for 3,000 years and I reckon that’s probably the reason why this is28300:24:10,760 –> 00:24:15,619one of the best-known and best-loved chapters in all of the Bible I mean to28400:24:15,619 –> 00:24:20,540know that in Christ you have a Shepherd and that in the Shepherd you have28500:24:20,540 –> 00:24:25,140everything that you need that is the greatest joy and that will renew your28600:24:25,140 –> 00:24:29,339strength so I’m absolutely delighted that we’re able to make this available28700:24:29,339 –> 00:24:34,719as a devotional you can read it over 31 days and it will renew your strength28800:24:34,719 –> 00:24:39,540it will refresh your soul Psalm 23 one of the best-known best-loved chapters28900:24:39,540 –> 00:24:44,459in the Bible well if you are able to begin supporting Open the Bible with a29000:24:44,859 –> 00:24:50,359gift of five pounds per month or more or a one-off gift of fifty pounds or more29100:24:50,359 –> 00:24:55,060we’d love to thank you by sending you three copies of Green Pastures Still29200:24:55,060 –> 00:25:01,020Waters, Pastor Colin Smith’s devotional based on Psalm 23 along with a special29300:25:01,020 –> 00:25:06,660open the Bible pen and bookmark full details terms and conditions are on our29400:25:06,660 –> 00:25:11,260website that’s at OpenTheBible.org.uk29500:25:11,260 –> 00:25:12,979For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith29600:25:13,660 –> 00:25:18,420I’m David Pick. Thank you for joining us today and I hope we’ll see you again next time.29700:25:22,020 –> 00:25:30,160What’s it like to be a rebel child of God? Find out next time on Open The Bible.