100:00:00,320 –> 00:00:09,760Some Christians have one simple answer for everything.200:00:09,760 –> 00:00:13,480Doesn’t matter what problem you present to them, they’ve got one line answer for everything.300:00:13,480 –> 00:00:16,440They’ll just tell you and you know what you’re going to say before they say,400:00:16,440 –> 00:00:20,520just pray about it. Just pray about it. That’s the answer for everything.500:00:20,520 –> 00:00:25,520It’s not easy to pray when your mind is confused. If you can’t think straight,600:00:25,520 –> 00:00:29,660you can’t pray straight.700:00:29,719 –> 00:00:33,919I’m Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Thanks for being with us today and Colin.800:00:33,919 –> 00:00:39,160I’m glad you’re talking about this today because that answer just seems so900:00:39,180 –> 00:00:40,360unhelpful. Sometimes.1000:00:40,360 –> 00:00:43,959There are times in our lives when we’re really not sure how to pray.1100:00:43,959 –> 00:00:47,259When we’re feeling so overwhelmed and of course,1200:00:47,299 –> 00:00:49,520these words can be said as wise counselor,1300:00:49,660 –> 00:00:51,799that it can also be a kind of flippant response, right?1400:00:51,799 –> 00:00:53,880The Bible is such a wonderful book.1500:00:54,000 –> 00:00:58,299Here we are in Psalm 73, where we’ve got a godly man,1600:00:58,299 –> 00:01:03,740who is really struggling and he knows that he can’t actually pray1700:01:03,740 –> 00:01:07,800very well because the whole point of his struggle is that he’s got real1800:01:07,800 –> 00:01:09,000questions about God.1900:01:09,000 –> 00:01:12,760How you talk to God when you’re in this confusion where you say I don’t know2000:01:12,760 –> 00:01:17,739what’s happening and Psalm 73 which was written after God brought him2100:01:17,739 –> 00:01:22,739through this experience charts how God turned him around and it didn’t begin2200:01:23,180 –> 00:01:26,900with prayer, it ended with prayer, but it didn’t begin with prayer,2300:01:26,900 –> 00:01:27,900it began somewhere else.2400:01:27,900 –> 00:01:31,379We’re gonna see where it began and how it progressed in the program today.2500:01:31,379 –> 00:01:35,900So join us today, if you can, in Psalm 73 as we begin the message,2600:01:35,900 –> 00:01:37,540Think. Here’s Colin.2700:01:37,540 –> 00:01:42,580Well please keep your Bibles open at Psalm 732800:01:42,580 –> 00:01:47,019as we continue through this marvelous personal story together.2900:01:47,019 –> 00:01:50,300It’s really the testimony of a man called Asaf3000:01:51,019 –> 00:01:53,120Remember he was a good man.3100:01:53,120 –> 00:01:54,959He was a mature believer.3200:01:54,959 –> 00:01:57,500In fact, he was in full-time ministry.3300:01:57,500 –> 00:02:00,000He was a Levite and he had been called3400:02:00,000 –> 00:02:03,239to minister before the Ark of God.3500:02:03,239 –> 00:02:06,300But as we saw last time, he came to a place in his life3600:02:06,300 –> 00:02:09,600where he was facing some major problems.3700:02:09,600 –> 00:02:12,759He couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in the world.3800:02:13,639 –> 00:02:16,740He couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in his own life3900:02:16,740 –> 00:02:19,279and therefore he’d come to the conclusion4000:02:19,279 –> 00:02:21,679that he could no longer see the point4100:02:21,679 –> 00:02:25,039in continuing to pursue a godly life.4200:02:25,039 –> 00:02:27,419And looking back on this crisis,4300:02:27,419 –> 00:02:30,759he writes this psalm under the inspiration of the spirit4400:02:30,759 –> 00:02:34,279and he shares with other believers with us today his story.4500:02:34,279 –> 00:02:37,720He’s saying to us, I almost gave up.4600:02:38,520 –> 00:02:41,800If I had followed where my mind and my heart was going4700:02:41,800 –> 00:02:44,419at that particularly dark time of my life,4800:02:44,419 –> 00:02:47,360I have to tell you, I would have let everybody down.4900:02:47,360 –> 00:02:52,360I would have betrayed your children.5000:02:52,520 –> 00:02:54,360That’s what he says and that’s where5100:02:54,360 –> 00:02:57,460we got to last time in verse 15.5200:02:57,460 –> 00:02:59,160Now the marvelous thing as we’ve seen already5300:02:59,160 –> 00:03:01,320is that God turned this man around.5400:03:01,320 –> 00:03:03,720God brought Esau through this crisis5500:03:03,720 –> 00:03:06,940and he’s able to do the same thing for you.5600:03:06,940 –> 00:03:10,759We’ve been seeing that Esau made a five point turn5700:03:10,759 –> 00:03:15,000and we’re coming to the second point of that this morning.5800:03:15,039 –> 00:03:18,199Last week we saw, remember, that the turn that began5900:03:18,199 –> 00:03:20,839for this man when he made a decision,6000:03:20,839 –> 00:03:23,020and that decision was to be loyal6100:03:23,020 –> 00:03:24,639to the Lord and his people.6200:03:24,639 –> 00:03:27,839I will not betray your children.6300:03:27,839 –> 00:03:29,520That was his decision.6400:03:29,520 –> 00:03:31,639When he stopped dead in his tracks,6500:03:31,639 –> 00:03:34,199he would no longer follow what his mind was taking him,6600:03:34,199 –> 00:03:37,199he committed himself to loyalty to God and to his people.6700:03:37,199 –> 00:03:39,559That’s where the change began.6800:03:39,559 –> 00:03:42,800We’ve learned last week that really the first step6900:03:42,800 –> 00:03:44,259in turning your life around7000:03:44,259 –> 00:03:48,660is not finding an answer to your questions.7100:03:48,660 –> 00:03:52,479God often calls us to live without answers to our questions.7200:03:52,479 –> 00:03:54,839The first step is not finding an answer to your questions,7300:03:54,839 –> 00:03:58,059the first step is to make a decision.7400:03:58,880 –> 00:04:03,580And that’s why we pictured our friend Asaph,7500:04:03,580 –> 00:04:07,619who we met last time, holding a stop sign.7600:04:07,619 –> 00:04:11,520Because that word, stop, really summed up in one word7700:04:11,520 –> 00:04:14,160the whole of last week’s message.7800:04:14,160 –> 00:04:16,799Turning your life around begins when you stop.7900:04:16,799 –> 00:04:18,600You make a decision.8000:04:18,600 –> 00:04:22,320I will not betray the Lord.8100:04:22,320 –> 00:04:26,679Now, today’s message is also summed up in one word.8200:04:26,679 –> 00:04:28,760I want you to keep this nice and easy so we can remember.8300:04:28,760 –> 00:04:30,859Stop was last week.8400:04:30,859 –> 00:04:35,200One word for this week, think, think.8500:04:35,200 –> 00:04:38,239Now let’s look at verse 16 as we move forward together.8600:04:39,019 –> 00:04:43,760When I tried to understand all this, he says,8700:04:43,760 –> 00:04:46,160that’s all the problem and all the questions8800:04:46,160 –> 00:04:47,859that were going on in his mind,8900:04:47,859 –> 00:04:51,480it was oppressive to me.9000:04:53,399 –> 00:04:56,140I looked at these problems in my life.9100:04:57,600 –> 00:05:00,559I looked at the problems in the world9200:05:01,540 –> 00:05:05,320and my mind went round and round and round9300:05:05,440 –> 00:05:06,839and round and round.9400:05:06,839 –> 00:05:08,559I was awake at night.9500:05:09,540 –> 00:05:12,019Why is this happening, I was saying to myself.9600:05:12,019 –> 00:05:13,200It was oppressive to me.9700:05:13,200 –> 00:05:14,440I couldn’t break free from it.9800:05:14,440 –> 00:05:16,420I just couldn’t get out.9900:05:16,420 –> 00:05:17,279Oppressive.10000:05:20,320 –> 00:05:23,839It’s a terrible thing when your mind is confused.10100:05:23,839 –> 00:05:26,559It was round and round and round in circles.10200:05:29,119 –> 00:05:32,839And the second step in Asaph’s recovery,10300:05:32,839 –> 00:05:35,260the second point off his turn.10400:05:36,179 –> 00:05:41,179Was that God straightened out the confused thinking10500:05:42,200 –> 00:05:44,980that reigned in this man’s mind.10600:05:44,980 –> 00:05:45,959Stop.10700:05:47,079 –> 00:05:47,920Think.10800:05:49,519 –> 00:05:50,299Now how’s that gonna happen?10900:05:50,299 –> 00:05:54,200How does confused thinking that sometimes reigns11000:05:54,200 –> 00:05:57,440in our minds get straightened out?11100:05:57,440 –> 00:06:00,440I was helped and intrigued by a comment11200:06:00,440 –> 00:06:02,040of Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones on this.11300:06:02,040 –> 00:06:06,200He points out that some Christians11400:06:06,200 –> 00:06:09,839have one simple answer for everything.11500:06:09,839 –> 00:06:12,040Doesn’t matter what problem you present to them,11600:06:12,040 –> 00:06:14,440they’ve got one line answer for everything.11700:06:14,440 –> 00:06:16,359They’ll just tell you and you know what they’re gonna say11800:06:16,359 –> 00:06:17,260before they say it.11900:06:17,260 –> 00:06:18,859Just pray about it, just pray about it,12000:06:18,859 –> 00:06:19,700just pray about it.12100:06:19,700 –> 00:06:21,200That’s the answer for everything.12200:06:23,299 –> 00:06:25,559Lloyd Jones points out, surely rightly.12300:06:26,579 –> 00:06:29,040It’s not easy to pray when your mind is confused.12400:06:29,940 –> 00:06:33,059If you can’t think straight, you can’t pray straight.12500:06:35,420 –> 00:06:37,859So frankly when someone says to you or says to me12600:06:37,859 –> 00:06:39,160at a point where we’re really confused,12700:06:39,160 –> 00:06:40,839hey just pray about it, it’s not a lot of help.12800:06:40,839 –> 00:06:42,239And you know that, so do I.12900:06:45,679 –> 00:06:47,079Well, Esau is going to tell us13000:06:47,079 –> 00:06:50,119what did turn his thinking around.13100:06:50,119 –> 00:06:51,500What did bring him to the place13200:06:51,500 –> 00:06:56,500where he could pray meaningfully and clearly.13300:06:56,540 –> 00:07:00,880And clearly, I gotta tell you I find this so practical,13400:07:00,880 –> 00:07:04,420so helpful in my own life and experience and my prayer13500:07:04,420 –> 00:07:08,059in coming to this today is that God will use this13600:07:08,059 –> 00:07:10,739to bring help and encouragement13700:07:10,739 –> 00:07:14,399and the straightening out of confused thinking13800:07:14,399 –> 00:07:16,820in our minds and in our hearts today.13900:07:18,140 –> 00:07:19,459Look at what Esau says.14000:07:20,380 –> 00:07:23,859When I tried to understand all this,14100:07:24,859 –> 00:07:27,260it was oppressive to me14200:07:28,359 –> 00:07:33,119till I entered the sanctuary of God.14300:07:35,220 –> 00:07:38,359Now, Esau lived at the time of David14400:07:38,359 –> 00:07:39,720and the sanctuary, of course,14500:07:39,720 –> 00:07:42,019was the place of worship at that time.14600:07:42,019 –> 00:07:45,779Remember the temple was not built until the days of Solomon14700:07:45,779 –> 00:07:48,500and Esau’s before that time.14800:07:48,500 –> 00:07:51,920The sanctuary was where David put the Ark of the Covenant.14900:07:51,920 –> 00:07:53,140And the Ark of the Covenant15000:07:53,140 –> 00:07:55,200was, of course, a large, wooden box15100:07:55,200 –> 00:07:56,959that was carried on poles.15200:07:56,959 –> 00:07:58,619And by the time of David,15300:07:58,619 –> 00:08:02,799it was nearly 500 years old.15400:08:03,779 –> 00:08:05,779The significance of the Ark of the Covenant,15500:08:05,779 –> 00:08:08,119which of course had been constructed in the time of Moses15600:08:08,119 –> 00:08:09,459when the people were in the wilderness,15700:08:09,459 –> 00:08:12,140was that this was where God had said15800:08:12,140 –> 00:08:14,540He would meet with His people.15900:08:14,540 –> 00:08:17,179So when God’s people were traveling in the wilderness,16000:08:17,179 –> 00:08:19,700now nearly 500 years previously,16100:08:19,700 –> 00:08:21,059by the time of Asaph,16200:08:21,059 –> 00:08:22,420they carried the Ark with them.16300:08:22,420 –> 00:08:23,859When they came into the Promised Land,16400:08:23,859 –> 00:08:25,519they carried the Ark with them.16500:08:25,519 –> 00:08:26,859They came to meet with God16600:08:26,859 –> 00:08:28,739when they were in the Promised Land16700:08:28,739 –> 00:08:31,100at the place where David put the Ark16800:08:31,100 –> 00:08:32,979that was in this tent-like structure16900:08:32,979 –> 00:08:35,880called the sanctuary in Jerusalem.17000:08:36,760 –> 00:08:38,140Of course, nobody ever saw the Ark,17100:08:38,140 –> 00:08:38,979you remember that.17200:08:38,979 –> 00:08:41,099It was kept behind a curtain.17300:08:41,099 –> 00:08:43,159So Asaph didn’t actually see it,17400:08:43,159 –> 00:08:46,619even although he was called to minister in front of it.17500:08:46,619 –> 00:08:49,000But the point is that when he went into the sanctuary,17600:08:49,000 –> 00:08:51,239the sanctuary was the place where the ark was,17700:08:51,239 –> 00:08:52,460He knew it was there,17800:08:52,460 –> 00:08:54,219the Ark was behind the curtain.17900:08:54,219 –> 00:08:56,880Actually, that’s God teaching us in pictures, again,18000:08:56,880 –> 00:08:58,119because we draw near to God,18100:08:58,119 –> 00:08:59,919we don’t see Him,18200:08:59,919 –> 00:09:01,320but we know that He’s there.18300:09:02,239 –> 00:09:05,500And God was teaching His people18400:09:05,500 –> 00:09:07,960that they could be sure and confident of His presence18500:09:07,960 –> 00:09:09,239even when they couldn’t see Him18600:09:09,239 –> 00:09:11,200with this imagery of the Ark18700:09:11,200 –> 00:09:13,239where His presence was promised18800:09:13,239 –> 00:09:15,780that was hidden behind the curtain.18900:09:17,239 –> 00:09:20,179And, of course, that old Ark could tell a few stories19000:09:20,179 –> 00:09:21,719from the last 500 years,19100:09:22,919 –> 00:09:25,320constructed in the wilderness,19200:09:25,320 –> 00:09:26,960carried onto the field of battle,19300:09:26,960 –> 00:09:28,799captured once by God’s enemies19400:09:28,799 –> 00:09:30,159who were absolutely terrified19500:09:30,159 –> 00:09:32,960when they saw what happened when they got ahold of it,19600:09:32,960 –> 00:09:36,500abandoned on a farm during the lean years of Saul.19700:09:36,500 –> 00:09:38,460Now, it had been brought back to Jerusalem19800:09:38,460 –> 00:09:39,840and placed in the sanctuary,19900:09:39,840 –> 00:09:42,500it was a box, but it contained three things.20000:09:42,500 –> 00:09:45,280You know what was in the Ark of the Covenant?20100:09:45,659 –> 00:09:46,700The tablets of stone20200:09:46,700 –> 00:09:48,619on which God had written the 10 Commandments20300:09:48,619 –> 00:09:49,880by His own finger.20400:09:50,820 –> 00:09:53,900A golden pot that was filled with manna,20500:09:53,900 –> 00:09:58,479a great reminder of how God provided for His people20600:09:58,479 –> 00:10:00,739and brought them through the driest and deadest of times20700:10:00,739 –> 00:10:02,419in the wilderness.20800:10:02,419 –> 00:10:03,799Aaron’s rod that budded,20900:10:03,799 –> 00:10:06,919a reminder that God is the God of miracles21000:10:06,919 –> 00:10:08,219and that God has opened a way21100:10:08,219 –> 00:10:11,059through the high priest for us to come to peace with Him.21200:10:12,020 –> 00:10:13,219The ark, in other words,21300:10:13,260 –> 00:10:15,940that told the story of the promises,21400:10:15,940 –> 00:10:18,520the provision and the presence of God for His people21500:10:18,520 –> 00:10:23,520through the centuries in every circumstance of life.21600:10:26,260 –> 00:10:27,599Now, there’s something very important21700:10:27,599 –> 00:10:28,700for us to grasp here.21800:10:29,799 –> 00:10:31,219Asaph’s confused.21900:10:32,640 –> 00:10:35,179He’s got all kinds of unanswered questions22000:10:35,179 –> 00:10:36,460that are running through his mind.22100:10:36,460 –> 00:10:38,119Things are going wrong in his life.22200:10:38,119 –> 00:10:42,340His mind needs to be straightened out by the truth.22300:10:43,700 –> 00:10:45,679And he’s telling us,22400:10:45,679 –> 00:10:50,320that’s what happened when I came into the sanctuary.22500:10:52,679 –> 00:10:57,679Coming to worship is not escaping from your problems.22600:10:59,559 –> 00:11:01,900It’s coming into an environment22700:11:01,900 –> 00:11:04,159where you are faced with God’s truth22800:11:04,159 –> 00:11:05,940in such a way that you’ll be strengthened22900:11:05,940 –> 00:11:08,460to face your problems.23000:11:09,140 –> 00:11:12,739Coming to worship is not like going to the cinema23100:11:12,739 –> 00:11:16,900where you get about two hours relief23200:11:16,900 –> 00:11:20,400by being drawn into a temporary kind of world23300:11:20,400 –> 00:11:22,700and then you have to go back to reality again.23400:11:24,260 –> 00:11:28,000No, coming to worship is coming into the place23500:11:28,000 –> 00:11:30,419where you’re thinking is changed23600:11:30,419 –> 00:11:32,419in such a way that you can go out to face the world23700:11:32,419 –> 00:11:34,820in a way that you couldn’t have done so before.23800:11:35,700 –> 00:11:37,140No, of course there are a lot of folks23900:11:37,140 –> 00:11:38,979who have the idea that Christianity24000:11:38,979 –> 00:11:40,539is really just about aesthetics,24100:11:40,539 –> 00:11:43,820that it’s about a kind of emotional crutch.24200:11:43,820 –> 00:11:47,299This is why Karl Marx said that religion24300:11:47,299 –> 00:11:51,219is the what, the opiate of the people.24400:11:51,219 –> 00:11:53,219And frankly, in many cases he was right.24500:11:53,219 –> 00:11:56,159That’s how many people use Christianity.24600:11:56,159 –> 00:11:58,260They’ve never really understood what it is.24700:11:59,460 –> 00:12:03,159But we do not come to worship for some kind of opiate.24800:12:04,020 –> 00:12:05,460We’re doing what Asaph does.24900:12:05,500 –> 00:12:06,940We come into the sanctuary,25000:12:06,940 –> 00:12:10,320we come into the place where we find the presence of God25100:12:11,840 –> 00:12:15,000in order to find strength to face the realities of life25200:12:15,000 –> 00:12:19,619as our confused thinking gets straightened out by his truth.25300:12:19,619 –> 00:12:20,919You’re listening to Open the Bible25400:12:20,919 –> 00:12:24,299with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Think,25500:12:24,299 –> 00:12:27,020part of our series I Almost Gave Up25600:12:27,020 –> 00:12:30,619all about Asaph’s story from Psalm 73.25700:12:30,619 –> 00:12:32,659And if you ever miss one of our series25800:12:32,700 –> 00:12:35,820you can always catch up or go back and listen again25900:12:35,820 –> 00:12:40,900online at our website, openthebible.org.uk.26000:12:40,900 –> 00:12:43,500Open the Bible is supported by our listeners.26100:12:43,500 –> 00:12:46,320And this month has every month we have a special offer,26200:12:46,320 –> 00:12:48,000if you want to start supporting26300:12:48,000 –> 00:12:49,640Open the Bible financially.26400:12:49,640 –> 00:12:50,679Later on in the program,26500:12:50,679 –> 00:12:52,659I’ll be talking to Pastor Colin Smith26600:12:52,659 –> 00:12:54,280about this month’s special offer.26700:12:54,280 –> 00:12:56,500So I hope you’ll stay with us.26800:12:56,500 –> 00:12:57,559Back to the message now,26900:12:57,559 –> 00:12:59,219here again is Pastor Colin.27000:12:59,219 –> 00:13:02,820Coming to worship is coming into the place27100:13:02,820 –> 00:13:05,780where your thinking is changed in such a way27200:13:05,780 –> 00:13:07,299that you can go out to face the world27300:13:07,299 –> 00:13:09,659in a way that you couldn’t have done so before.27400:13:10,679 –> 00:13:12,140We’re doing what Asaph does.27500:13:12,140 –> 00:13:13,640We come into the sanctuary.27600:13:13,640 –> 00:13:17,020We come into the place where we find the presence of God27700:13:18,059 –> 00:13:19,859in order to find strength to face27800:13:19,859 –> 00:13:22,700the realities of life as our confused thinking27900:13:22,700 –> 00:13:25,020gets straightened out by his truth.28000:13:26,679 –> 00:13:28,500Now let’s see how that happened for Asaph.28100:13:29,080 –> 00:13:30,320That’s a wonderful story.28200:13:31,539 –> 00:13:32,380Here’s the first thing,28300:13:32,380 –> 00:13:34,419that as he came into the sanctuary,28400:13:34,419 –> 00:13:35,619what he was doing, of course,28500:13:35,619 –> 00:13:37,299was remembering God’s truth.28600:13:37,299 –> 00:13:39,640That is the significance of the ark.28700:13:41,119 –> 00:13:45,039The ark was the reminder that God had been walking28800:13:45,039 –> 00:13:48,679with his people for 500 years,28900:13:48,679 –> 00:13:50,039and in fact more than that29000:13:50,039 –> 00:13:51,820before the time of the ark as well.29100:13:53,780 –> 00:13:56,440Here’s Asaph and he’s so consumed29200:13:56,520 –> 00:13:57,840with these burning questions29300:13:57,840 –> 00:13:59,200of what’s going on in his own life.29400:13:59,200 –> 00:14:00,460He comes into the sanctuary.29500:14:00,460 –> 00:14:02,539He sees he’s part of something much bigger.29600:14:04,159 –> 00:14:06,679God has brought his people through the wilderness.29700:14:08,239 –> 00:14:10,859God has kept his people alive in the desert.29800:14:12,119 –> 00:14:14,840God brought his people into the land of Canaan29900:14:14,840 –> 00:14:17,820and overcame powerful enemies.30000:14:18,760 –> 00:14:19,840He has kept his people,30100:14:19,840 –> 00:14:21,039he has protected his people,30200:14:21,039 –> 00:14:22,119he has guided his people,30300:14:22,119 –> 00:14:23,280he has preserved his people,30400:14:23,280 –> 00:14:24,719he has sustained his people30500:14:24,719 –> 00:14:27,280from generation to generation.30600:14:28,960 –> 00:14:33,960And now Esau comes near to the same ark of God30700:14:37,400 –> 00:14:40,059and he takes his place as a worshiper30800:14:40,059 –> 00:14:43,260in this great line of succession30900:14:44,559 –> 00:14:46,380and he remembers that this god,31000:14:47,280 –> 00:14:51,919this god is now with him.31100:14:52,700 –> 00:14:55,340That’s life changing.31200:14:58,719 –> 00:15:00,159I want to read a few lines31300:15:00,159 –> 00:15:04,219from one of my very favorite authors, James Denney.31400:15:05,320 –> 00:15:06,359He says this.31500:15:07,659 –> 00:15:12,659We need the common faith to sustain our individual faith.31600:15:15,440 –> 00:15:18,359We need the consciousness of the children of God31700:15:18,359 –> 00:15:22,780in all ages to fortify our wavering belief.31800:15:24,440 –> 00:15:27,960And then he says, to be at home in the church31900:15:27,960 –> 00:15:31,700is to absorb the strength unconsciously.32000:15:32,580 –> 00:15:33,960And I love this next bit.32100:15:33,960 –> 00:15:37,440It is to be delivered from the shallows32200:15:37,440 –> 00:15:42,320and the miseries of a too narrow experience32300:15:42,320 –> 00:15:45,479and to be set afloat on the broad stream32400:15:45,479 –> 00:15:46,900of Christian conviction32500:15:46,940 –> 00:15:48,580which gathers impetus and volume32600:15:48,580 –> 00:15:50,900with every generation the saints survive.32700:15:53,340 –> 00:15:56,799See, there’s not just your faith.32800:15:56,799 –> 00:15:58,020There’s our faith.32900:15:59,659 –> 00:16:04,159There’s not just your experience, there’s our experience.33000:16:05,059 –> 00:16:08,140There’s not just your testimony, there’s our testimony,33100:16:08,140 –> 00:16:09,940and not just our testimony here33200:16:09,940 –> 00:16:11,700in this little capsule of time,33300:16:11,700 –> 00:16:13,979but our testimony as part of the testimony33400:16:13,979 –> 00:16:15,900of the whole church of Jesus Christ33500:16:15,900 –> 00:16:18,940that’s now been going for 2000 years.33600:16:21,059 –> 00:16:22,460You know, it’s a great blessing33700:16:22,460 –> 00:16:24,460to be part of the body of Christ.33800:16:26,359 –> 00:16:28,900There is nothing in your life33900:16:28,900 –> 00:16:31,359that God’s people have not faced before.34000:16:32,400 –> 00:16:34,419There are no questions in your mind34100:16:34,419 –> 00:16:35,919that have not been asked before.34200:16:35,919 –> 00:16:39,099People have lived and died on the promises of God34300:16:39,099 –> 00:16:41,239for 2,000 years.34400:16:43,099 –> 00:16:45,359No testing says the Apostle Paul34500:16:45,359 –> 00:16:50,359has come to you except that which is common to man.34600:16:51,479 –> 00:16:55,700There’s nothing unique about your pain or mine.34700:16:57,140 –> 00:16:59,359To be delivered from the shallows34800:16:59,359 –> 00:17:03,640and the miseries of two narrow and experience says Denny34900:17:03,640 –> 00:17:07,640and to be set afloat on the broad stream35000:17:07,640 –> 00:17:09,260of Christian conviction35100:17:09,260 –> 00:17:11,839that’s what happens when we gather together in worship35200:17:11,839 –> 00:17:14,699when the church on earth joins with a church in Heaven35300:17:14,699 –> 00:17:17,619and I see coming out of my little world35400:17:17,619 –> 00:17:20,260that I’m actually part of something far bigger35500:17:20,260 –> 00:17:25,040that is in the hand of God, remember God’s truth.35600:17:28,479 –> 00:17:29,959Here’s the second thing that happened35700:17:29,959 –> 00:17:31,520when he came into the sanctuary,35800:17:32,439 –> 00:17:34,459what would you expect him to find in the sanctuary?35900:17:34,459 –> 00:17:38,300Well, the arch and people.36000:17:39,140 –> 00:17:43,339Meet with God’s people.36100:17:43,339 –> 00:17:45,219Remember God’s truth, meet with God’s people.36200:17:45,219 –> 00:17:47,020That’ll straighten your thinking out.36300:17:50,459 –> 00:17:52,699The encouragement of God’s people36400:17:52,699 –> 00:17:57,699is one of the great means that God uses36500:17:59,319 –> 00:18:02,699to strengthen us when we feel like giving up.36600:18:04,660 –> 00:18:08,160By the way, that is why you should never withdraw36700:18:08,439 –> 00:18:10,599from God’s people when you’re discouraged.36800:18:11,760 –> 00:18:13,079See, when we become discouraged,36900:18:13,079 –> 00:18:14,119there is a certain impetus37000:18:14,119 –> 00:18:15,439that say, hey, I’ll just stay home.37100:18:15,439 –> 00:18:16,520I’m not gonna come to worship.37200:18:16,520 –> 00:18:18,260No, I’ll just withdraw.37300:18:20,119 –> 00:18:23,099And isolation is your greatest danger37400:18:23,099 –> 00:18:24,060when you’re discouraged.37500:18:24,060 –> 00:18:26,599You need others around you, we all do.37600:18:29,280 –> 00:18:30,479And Esau does the right thing.37700:18:30,479 –> 00:18:32,239He not only goes to a sanctuary37800:18:32,239 –> 00:18:34,939where he finds the presence of the ark37900:18:35,020 –> 00:18:38,280that speaks to him of God’s faithfulness over generations,38000:18:38,280 –> 00:18:41,339he comes to the place where he’s going to meet with others38100:18:41,339 –> 00:18:43,560who share the same faith38200:18:43,560 –> 00:18:47,199and are able to encourage and strengthen one another in God.38300:18:48,900 –> 00:18:50,260God will use his people38400:18:50,260 –> 00:18:52,500to bring strength and encouragement to you.38500:18:54,079 –> 00:18:55,699And sometimes that will happen38600:18:55,699 –> 00:18:58,859in the most unexpected of ways.38700:19:01,300 –> 00:19:02,599Let me speak personally.38800:19:03,420 –> 00:19:08,339Let me tell you how God blessed me last Sunday.38900:19:10,560 –> 00:19:13,060Dick Bender.39000:19:15,520 –> 00:19:17,319Dick’s one of our senior members.39100:19:19,439 –> 00:19:22,319He’s been through very extensive surgery,39200:19:23,979 –> 00:19:25,900he’s a man of extraordinary courage.39300:19:27,939 –> 00:19:30,859Last Sunday, we had just finished the third service.39400:19:30,900 –> 00:19:32,239I had my coat on.39500:19:32,239 –> 00:19:35,040I was about to head out through the main entrance there,39600:19:35,040 –> 00:19:36,540head off home.39700:19:36,540 –> 00:19:38,160I got to the front door of the church39800:19:38,160 –> 00:19:42,199and Dick was there with his stick about to leave.39900:19:44,420 –> 00:19:46,239I hadn’t seen him or spoken to him for quite a while.40000:19:46,239 –> 00:19:48,739I said how good it was to see him at church40100:19:48,739 –> 00:19:50,859after all that he’d been through.40200:19:50,859 –> 00:19:54,540And he made some comment about just keep pressing on.40300:19:56,579 –> 00:19:57,819I held the door for him,40400:19:59,500 –> 00:20:00,579said goodbye.40500:20:01,099 –> 00:20:02,619And walked across the car park.40600:20:05,219 –> 00:20:06,800And here’s what I was thinking.40700:20:09,520 –> 00:20:11,239If he can do what he’s doing40800:20:11,239 –> 00:20:13,239after all that he’s been through,40900:20:14,140 –> 00:20:16,459what in the world do I have to complain about?41000:20:18,719 –> 00:20:22,839Actually, I think God was speaking to me through Dick.41100:20:24,479 –> 00:20:25,939And he knew nothing about it.41200:20:28,099 –> 00:20:29,780The truth is, I’ve thought about him41300:20:29,859 –> 00:20:32,599four or five times in the last week.41400:20:34,319 –> 00:20:36,119I thanked God for his testimony.41500:20:37,739 –> 00:20:39,640And I’ve drawn encouragement from the example41600:20:39,640 –> 00:20:41,599of a man who just keeps struggling on41700:20:41,599 –> 00:20:44,760and wants to be here in worship despite great difficulties.41800:20:44,760 –> 00:20:47,459He loves Christ, and he just keeps pressing on.41900:20:51,060 –> 00:20:53,979So I’ll tell you, I’m really glad42000:20:53,979 –> 00:20:56,540that Dick made the effort to come to church last Sunday.42100:20:56,540 –> 00:20:58,180I don’t know what it did for him,42200:20:58,319 –> 00:21:00,760but I know what he did for me.42300:21:01,579 –> 00:21:03,619An encouraging word there from Colin,42400:21:03,619 –> 00:21:05,859that we can come right into God’s sanctuary42500:21:05,859 –> 00:21:09,420as we begin to get our lives back on track.42600:21:09,420 –> 00:21:11,060You’ve been listening to Open the Bible42700:21:11,060 –> 00:21:13,859with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called,42800:21:13,859 –> 00:21:17,400Think, part of our series, I almost gave up.42900:21:17,400 –> 00:21:19,119Based on Psalm 73.43000:21:19,119 –> 00:21:21,459And ASAPh story.43100:21:21,459 –> 00:21:22,920If you ever missed one of our series,43200:21:22,920 –> 00:21:25,239you can always go back and listen again43300:21:25,319 –> 00:21:28,380online at our website, openthebible.org.uk.43400:21:29,599 –> 00:21:31,359Or you can find us as a podcast43500:21:31,359 –> 00:21:33,579and those are on all the main podcast sites,43600:21:33,579 –> 00:21:35,760search for Open the Bible UK43700:21:35,760 –> 00:21:37,959or follow the link from our website.43800:21:38,920 –> 00:21:41,479Open the Bible is supported by our listeners.43900:21:41,479 –> 00:21:44,239So if you already give to support the work,44000:21:44,239 –> 00:21:46,160thank you so much.44100:21:46,160 –> 00:21:48,680If that’s something you’d like to begin to do,44200:21:48,680 –> 00:21:51,180this month we have a wonderful offer for you.44300:21:51,180 –> 00:21:54,119If you’re able to set up a new direct debit44400:21:54,119 –> 00:21:55,640to the work of Open the Bible44500:21:55,640 –> 00:21:58,380in the amount of five pounds per month or more,44600:21:58,380 –> 00:22:01,560or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,44700:22:01,560 –> 00:22:03,699we’ll say thank you by sending you44800:22:03,699 –> 00:22:05,839our Easter giveaway bundle.44900:22:05,839 –> 00:22:07,780In the bundle are two copies45000:22:07,780 –> 00:22:10,000of the new graphic novel version45100:22:10,000 –> 00:22:12,060of Heaven, How I Got Here,45200:22:12,060 –> 00:22:13,760Pastor Colin Smith’s account of45300:22:13,760 –> 00:22:15,579The Thief on the Cross,45400:22:15,579 –> 00:22:19,819and in addition, a copy of the NIV Outreach Bible.45500:22:19,819 –> 00:22:22,099These items are ideal to give away45600:22:22,119 –> 00:22:24,780to family or friends this Easter.45700:22:24,780 –> 00:22:26,640Colin, what is the one thing45800:22:26,640 –> 00:22:28,439that you would like people to take away45900:22:28,439 –> 00:22:30,520from this new graphic novel?46000:22:30,520 –> 00:22:33,199Well, it would be that when God draws near,46100:22:33,199 –> 00:22:36,339he comes to give us what we do not have.46200:22:36,339 –> 00:22:38,140That’s the message of grace,46300:22:38,140 –> 00:22:40,859and it’s the greatest good news in all of the world.46400:22:40,859 –> 00:22:44,260You know, C.H. Spurgeon used to tell a story46500:22:44,260 –> 00:22:46,520about a pastor who took money one day46600:22:46,520 –> 00:22:50,900to an old lady who was in great need,46700:22:50,900 –> 00:22:53,459and he knocked on the door and she didn’t answer,46800:22:53,459 –> 00:22:56,040and eventually the pastor went home.46900:22:56,040 –> 00:22:57,560He saw her the next Sunday,47000:22:57,560 –> 00:23:01,719and he said, well, I came with a gift to your home.47100:23:01,719 –> 00:23:04,040And she said, oh, when did you come?47200:23:04,040 –> 00:23:05,520And he told her, and she said,47300:23:05,520 –> 00:23:07,939oh, I heard you knock on the door,47400:23:07,939 –> 00:23:09,300but I didn’t open the door47500:23:09,300 –> 00:23:12,040because I thought you were the man47600:23:12,040 –> 00:23:14,319coming to collect the rent.47700:23:14,319 –> 00:23:17,800Now you see, I think that that’s where many people are.47800:23:17,800 –> 00:23:21,619They had this idea that if God draws near,47900:23:21,619 –> 00:23:22,859he’s calling for the rent.48000:23:22,859 –> 00:23:25,540He’s coming to demand something from us.48100:23:25,540 –> 00:23:27,400There are millions of people48200:23:27,400 –> 00:23:30,020who have never understood grace,48300:23:30,020 –> 00:23:32,819and their whole idea of Christianity48400:23:32,819 –> 00:23:34,979is that they’re going to be told what they need to do48500:23:34,979 –> 00:23:35,959and what they need to be,48600:23:35,959 –> 00:23:37,540and they don’t have either the desire48700:23:37,540 –> 00:23:39,300or the ability to do it.48800:23:39,300 –> 00:23:41,819And the story of the thief on the cross48900:23:41,819 –> 00:23:44,300just blows that out of the water.49000:23:44,300 –> 00:23:46,920Here’s this person who has not lived a life49100:23:46,920 –> 00:23:49,380that has been pleasing to God at all.49200:23:49,380 –> 00:23:51,339And instead of coming with a demand,49300:23:51,339 –> 00:23:54,959the Lord Jesus Christ gives the most marvelous gift.49400:23:54,959 –> 00:23:59,060He opens heaven for this man who believes.49500:23:59,060 –> 00:24:02,579So here’s an opportunity with a graphic novel,49600:24:02,579 –> 00:24:05,160a simple pictorial presentation49700:24:05,160 –> 00:24:08,880of this marvelous story of God’s compelling grace.49800:24:08,880 –> 00:24:10,760You could put it into people’s hands.49900:24:10,760 –> 00:24:13,619We’d love to see this graphic novel50000:24:13,619 –> 00:24:16,699getting into the hands of as many people as possible,50100:24:17,359 –> 00:24:19,900people who need to understand grace.50200:24:19,900 –> 00:24:22,260A younger person in your family,50300:24:22,260 –> 00:24:25,000someone who is trying to live a good life,50400:24:25,000 –> 00:24:28,540but really hasn’t understood the heart of the gospel.50500:24:28,540 –> 00:24:30,420You could be the means of getting50600:24:30,420 –> 00:24:32,660a simple presentation of God’s grace50700:24:32,660 –> 00:24:34,060into their hands.50800:24:34,060 –> 00:24:36,260We’d love to encourage you to do that50900:24:36,260 –> 00:24:37,859and hope that this graphic novel51000:24:37,859 –> 00:24:40,140will be useful to you in that regard.51100:24:40,140 –> 00:24:41,439Well, we’d love to send you51200:24:41,439 –> 00:24:43,380two copies of this graphic novel,51300:24:43,380 –> 00:24:44,439Heaven, How I Got Here,51400:24:44,439 –> 00:24:46,660The Story of the Thief on the Cross51500:24:46,660 –> 00:24:49,859along with an NIV outreach Bible,51600:24:49,859 –> 00:24:54,060ideal to give away to friends and family this Easter.51700:24:54,060 –> 00:24:56,180Full details, terms and conditions51800:24:56,180 –> 00:24:59,540on our website OpenTheBible.org.uk51900:24:59,540 –> 00:25:01,540and you can give online.52000:25:01,540 –> 00:25:03,020But if you do give online,52100:25:03,020 –> 00:25:05,579don’t forget to leave your full name and address52200:25:05,579 –> 00:25:08,939so we can send you the Easter giveaway bundle.52300:25:08,939 –> 00:25:11,540For Pastor Colin Smith and Open the Bible,52400:25:11,579 –> 00:25:12,380I’m David Pick52500:25:12,380 –> 00:25:14,260and I hope you’ll join us again next time.52600:25:19,939 –> 00:25:21,199The Bible tells us that52700:25:21,199 –> 00:25:24,560God has placed the wicked on slippery ground.52800:25:24,560 –> 00:25:25,500Really?52900:25:25,500 –> 00:25:26,859How does he do that?53000:25:26,859 –> 00:25:31,099Find out next time on Open the Bible.