A Spiritual Slump

[0:00] If we could, with the Lord's help and the Lord's enabling this evening, if we could turn back to that portion of scripture that we read.

[0:12] 1 Kings chapter 19. 1 Kings chapter 19 and if we read again at verse 7. But it says, You know, when we think of Elijah, this is the way I always think of him anyway.

[0:58] I always think of him as one of the all-time greats. We often think of this man as a wonderful prophet of the Lord. He was a faithful servant of the Lord. We think of him as a man who was fearless in his faith, as someone who was strong in his convictions, as someone who was willing to stand alone.

[1:18] We think of Elijah as a man of prayer, a man of passion, a man of purpose. We think of Elijah as almost a super Christian who walked so closely with the Lord all the days of his life.

[1:31] And that he was so holy that the Lord took him to heaven in a chariot of fire. When we think of Elijah, I do anyway. I think of him as a man who was so unlike me.

[1:44] He's so unlike us. And yet the Bible tells us that he was a man just like us. Elijah was a man just like us. But for many of us, when we read that, when we read that Elijah was a man just like us, we think, well, that's not really true.

[2:03] Elijah was nothing like us. Because as we've seen over the past few weeks, studying 1 Kings, we see that Elijah was the Lord's prophet. Elijah was the Lord's spokesman.

[2:14] Elijah proclaimed God's truth. Elijah heralded God's covenant. Elijah challenged anyone who worshipped false gods and bowed down to idols.

[2:24] Elijah boldly confronted the government of his day. And he addressed King Ahab to his face about his unfaithfulness to the Lord. Elijah told the king, he even told the king that his wife Jezebel was a wicked woman and that he shouldn't be with her.

[2:42] He pronounced the Lord's judgment upon the whole kingdom. Elijah, we think, well, he was nothing like us. Because Elijah, he faithfully waited upon the Lord. He did as the Lord always commanded him.

[2:56] He hid by the brook Cherith. We saw that in chapter 17. He went to Zarephath at the word of the Lord and nothing else. He had unclean ravens and this unlikely widow feed him daily bread.

[3:09] He prayed over a dead child and yet the child was raised to life again. Elijah challenged, as we saw in chapter 18, he challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to the spiritual showdown on the top of Mount Carmel.

[3:24] And he even questioned the Lord's people as to their faithfulness and their commitment to the Lord. You know, when we look at the prophet Elijah, we think to ourselves, scripture must have it wrong.

[3:37] Because when we think of this man, Elijah, he's nothing like us. And yet then we come to chapter 19. And we're made to realize that, well, the Bible is right.

[3:52] As it always is. And Elijah was a man just like us. Because in this chapter, chapter 19, we see that the best of men, they are only men at best.

[4:07] In this chapter, chapter 19, we see a man who was battered and bruised. We see a man who is weak and downcast. We see a man who's worn out and tired. We see a man who's struggling in his faith.

[4:21] And he needs the encouragement of the Lord. And for you, you might think, when you look at Elijah, you can certainly say in this chapter, yes, he's a man just like me.

[4:33] He had struggles. He had concerns. Elijah questioned what the Lord was doing in his life. Elijah even wondered where the Lord was in his time of need. And you know, my friend, Elijah reached a spiritual slump.

[4:49] That's what we see in chapter 19. We're seeing the spiritual slump. But he needed to hear a spiritual sermon from the Lord. And that spiritual sermon would encourage him and equip him and enable him to continue in his spiritual service.

[5:07] And you know, does that know why we've come here this evening? Does that know why we come to the prayer meeting? Because we're so like Elijah. That sometimes we find ourselves in a spiritual slump.

[5:18] And we need to hear a spiritual sermon from the Lord to encourage us and enable us to continue in our spiritual service.

[5:29] And you know, there are three headings this evening. A spiritual slump. A spiritual sermon. And a spiritual service. So we look first of all at a spiritual slump.

[5:42] Look at verse 1. It says, By this point in the life and ministry of Elijah, we've seen the spiritual state of the kingdom of Israel.

[6:34] We've seen that the covenant king Ahab had led the covenant people Israel into covenant unfaithfulness. And because of the repeated disobedience of the people of Israel, the Lord had brought a covenant curse upon the land.

[6:50] The kingdom of Israel was in a spiritual state. It was in a land of drought. And that spiritual state had then led to, as we saw in chapter 18, a spiritual showdown on the top of Mount Carmel.

[7:05] Where Elijah, he boldly confronted the prophets of Baal. And he questioned the people as to why they were still limping between two different opinions. And Elijah, he gave them this ultimatum.

[7:17] If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And having seen all that took place on Calvary. Calvary. Carmel.

[7:30] All that took place on Carmel. You know, Carmel was a moment of victory. Carmel was an occasion of triumph. It was a time for rejoicing.

[7:42] Because Elijah's prayer, it had been answered. The Lord had revealed himself as the living and true God. He was the God who answered by fire. He consumed the sacrifice.

[7:54] And he revealed himself as the one to whom all the Lord's people should worship. And you know, if there was ever a mountaintop experience in the life of one of the Lord's people, that was it.

[8:06] On the top of Mount Carmel, Elijah had seen the Lord move in the most wonderful and glorious way. He had this mountaintop experience.

[8:17] But then when we come into this chapter, the spiritual showdown on the top of Mount Carmel, it now seems like a distant memory. The mountaintop experience is brought crashing down into the Valley of Testing.

[8:32] Where we see that Elijah, he's no longer standing tall. He's no longer full of faith. His boldness has diminished. And his courage is faltering.

[8:43] With only a word, just a word from Jezebel, Elijah finds himself in the throes of defeat. And you go from one chapter to the next. A few verses later, and Elijah has gone from the mountaintop into the valley.

[8:59] Where we find him here asking for his life to be taken away. And you know, you look at this and you say, well, Elijah is just like us.

[9:11] Because, you know, is it not true that there are times in our Christian life where we're on the mountaintop. We feel, in a sense, spiritually young.

[9:23] We're walking close to the Lord. We have the assurance of God's word. We have the presence of his spirit. We're almost walking on clouds, as it were. We have the joy of the Lord being our strength day by day.

[9:35] And our cup is just running over. And during those mountaintop experiences, those mountaintop times, prayer seems easy. Bible reading is enjoyable.

[9:46] Going to church is just your hunger and thirst. And being with the Lord's people, it's the greatest blessing. Because that's what brings warmth to your heart.

[9:57] There are times in the Christian life when we're on the mountaintop. But as you know, maybe only too well. There are other times when we find ourselves in the valley of testing.

[10:09] And like Elijah, when we're in the valley of testing, we feel weak. We feel tired. We feel worn out. We're sensitive with our faith. We feel isolated from the church.

[10:21] We're lonely as a Christian. And we feel that we're lacking strength and that vitality that we once had on the mountaintop. You know, my friend, there are times in the Christian life where you get tired.

[10:35] Tired of fighting with sin. The flesh, the devil. Tired of the divisions that are in the church. Tired of the opposition from the world. Tired of just the weakness of our own flesh.

[10:49] And you know, you look at Elijah and say, well, he was a man just like us. Elijah thought that Mount Carmel was a turning point for the kingdom.

[11:01] He thought that everything would change after Carmel. He even thought that the wicked queen Jezebel would turn to the Lord in repentance. But when Elijah heard that Jezebel's heart was even harder, he felt useless.

[11:17] He felt useless as a servant of the Lord. He felt so unworthy to be called the Lord's prophet. Elijah felt like a failure. And so what does a failure do?

[11:29] Elijah, well, he thinks he's a failure, so he runs away. Elijah runs from all his problems. He runs away from everything and everyone. And he comes and sits down all alone under the juniper tree.

[11:42] And he says to the Lord, it is enough now, Lord. Take away my life. For I am no better than my father's. But you know what's remarkable?

[11:57] Is that the answer which came from heaven was no. And instead of answering Elijah's prayers, which the Lord had done so often, we've seen that.

[12:09] Elijah prayed in the rain stopped. Elijah prayed over a child and he came back to life. Elijah prayed and fire fell. But Elijah prayed, take me out of this. And the Lord says, no.

[12:22] The Lord, instead of answering Elijah's prayer, the Lord drew near to strengthen and encourage his weak servant. And you know, this is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, verse seven.

[12:37] Because we're reminded there, verse seven of how gracious the Lord is with us when we're in a spiritual slump. The Lord, we see here, condescends.

[12:48] He goes right down to Elijah. And he says to him, arise and eat. Because the journey is too great for you. And you know, what better word of encouragement could the Lord give than to provide a table in the wilderness for this broken and weary servant and then call him to come to that table.

[13:12] Arise and eat, he says, because the journey is too great for you. And you know, have you ever been there? Have you ever sat, as it were, under the juniper tree thinking, I'm of no use to the Lord.

[13:27] Feeling so unworthy, feeling like this failure, feeling that you're a useless Christian, a useless servant. Have you ever sat under the juniper tree wondering, where is the Lord in all this?

[13:39] Where is the Lord in my times of doubt and my times of discouragement? Where is the Lord in my trials and my tribulations? Where is the Lord in my pains and my sorrows? Blessing seems like yesterday's news, but today it's, as we were singing in Psalm 43, O why art thou cast down my soul?

[13:58] Why in me so dismayed? But you know, my friend, it's when we're under the juniper tree that the Lord comes to us in all our weakness, in all our frailties, and it's then that he speaks into our situation, right into our situation, and he says, arise indeed, because the journey is too great for you.

[14:21] And you know, let's be honest, the journey is too great for us, because the journey that we're on, it's, as the Bible describes, it's a wilderness journey.

[14:33] And it's a journey full of difficulties, full of hardships, full of sadness, full of sorrow. Yes, there are joys, but, well, we live in a world of pain.

[14:45] It's a difficult journey. But you know, you look at Psalm 121 and you ask yourself, well, what did the pilgrim discover when he was in a spiritual slump?

[14:58] What did the pilgrim do? He opens Psalm 121 and he says, I to the hills will lift mine eyes. He lifts his eyes to the hills that surround him and all these high places that were used to worship all the false gods of this world.

[15:14] And he asks, where will my help come from? Not from these places. No, he looks even higher. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. And what did the psalmist discover while he was on this journey, this wilderness journey?

[15:30] That the Lord is the one who keeps his food. The Lord is the one who watches over him. The Lord is the one who never sleeps. The Lord is the one who's there with him when the moon is shining by night and the sun is blazing upon him by day.

[15:46] The psalmist has this wonderful promise that the Lord is keeping him. He's keeping his going out and his coming in from this time forth and even forevermore. And you know, that's our promise that whilst we're on this wilderness journey, the Lord is keeping us.

[16:05] It's a tough journey, but the Lord is keeping us. Arise and eat, he says, because the journey is too great for you. Elijah was a man just like us.

[16:18] And like Elijah when he found, when we find ourselves in a spiritual slump, we need to hear a spiritual sermon from the Lord. And that's what we see secondly, a spiritual sermon.

[16:34] Look again at verse 7. The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you. And he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

[16:52] There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him and said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? In order to help Elijah out of his spiritual slump, the Lord commands Elijah to take this two hundred mile journey southwards into the heart of Egypt.

[17:16] And he was to keep going until he came to this mountain called Mount Horeb. Now what's interesting is that Elijah's journey, it has parallels and similarities with the experience of the children of Israel.

[17:29] because Elijah, he's commanded by the Lord here to travel through the same wilderness that the children of Israel traveled through.

[17:40] And the length of time that it took is also significant because we're told in verse 8 that it took forty days and forty nights. And, well, the number of the wilderness is the number forty.

[17:54] The children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years. Elijah took forty days and forty nights to get through the wilderness and come to this mountain called Mount Horeb.

[18:05] Now, the mountain is even significant because Mount Horeb was the same mountain as Mount Sinai. Years had passed, but the name of the mountain had changed.

[18:20] But it was the same location. It was the same location that Moses, or the Lord had spoken to Moses years before.

[18:32] And, you know, what's remarkable is that the Lord called Moses to meet with him when Moses was in a spiritual slump. It was at that time when the children of Israel, they were worshipping the golden calf.

[18:47] You remember it was about Exodus 33, 34. and Moses, he's up in the top of Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments.

[18:57] Then he comes down the mountain and he sees them worshipping the golden calf and he breaks the tablets of stone and he ends up in this spiritual slump pleading with the Lord, Lord, show me your glory.

[19:10] And then the Lord answers Moses' request. The Lord calls Moses to go back up the mountain to see his glory. And the Lord gave to Moses this spiritual sermon.

[19:22] In Exodus 34, we're told that Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock while the Lord passed by and the Lord proclaimed a sermon to Moses. It said, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

[19:46] And so when Moses was in a spiritual slump, he needed to hear a spiritual sermon from the Lord. And when Moses heard that spiritual sermon, it was that sermon that encouraged and equipped and enabled Moses to serve the Lord for the next 40 years.

[20:05] And you know, that's exactly what we're seeing here with Elijah. The Lord called his despondent prophet to travel 200 miles back to where it all started, to stand where Moses stood and hear what Moses heard and experience what Moses experienced.

[20:24] So that he too, so that Elijah would be encouraged and equipped and enabled to serve the Lord. And you know, what we have to see here is that the Lord brought Elijah, he brought Elijah back to where it all began.

[20:41] The Lord brought Elijah back to Mount Sinai in order to remind Elijah that despite everything that's happened in the kingdom and in the nation, the Lord hasn't changed.

[20:53] The Lord was still the same covenant God he had always been. The Lord was reminding Elijah that he was still faithful to his covenant promise, the promise that he made to Abraham and all his descendants after him.

[21:07] The Lord brought Elijah back to remind him that he hadn't changed. And you know, sometimes it's good for us to look back.

[21:21] It's good for us to look back because it's by looking back that you can see where you've come from and you can see what the Lord has done in your life.

[21:34] And by looking back it should always encourage you to move forward. Yes, I know what John Newton said when he looked back. He said, I'm not what I ought to be.

[21:46] I'm not what I want to be. I'm not what I hope to be in another world. But yet when he looks back he says, well, I'm not what I once used to be. And by the grace of God I am what I am.

[21:59] My friend, it's good for us to look back so that we will be encouraged and equipped and enabled to move forward. And that's what the Lord is doing here with Elijah. He's bringing him all the way back to encourage him and equip him and enable him to move forward.

[22:17] But for Elijah, he didn't know why he was on Mount Horeb. When Elijah arrived at Mount Horeb, the Lord just asked him, what are you doing here, Elijah?

[22:30] In other words, the Lord was asking him, Elijah, do you know why you're here? And Elijah, he actually had removal on his mind. He thought that the Lord was going to remove him from his service.

[22:45] But the Lord didn't have renewal on his mind. The Lord didn't have removal, he had renewal on his mind. But you know, when the Lord asks, what are you doing here, Elijah?

[22:57] Elijah complains. He says in verse 10, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with a sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

[23:17] Elijah moans to the Lord. He says everything is lost, there's nothing left, the cause is hopeless, the king and queen, their hearts are harder than ever, the nation is in a mess, and the church is in ruins.

[23:30] There's nothing more I can do. I've done everything I can, there's nothing more I can do. Take away my life. But what does the Lord say? Verse 11, the Lord says, go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.

[23:46] And behold, the Lord passed by, just like he did with Moses. And a great and a strong wind tore the mountains and broken pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.

[23:58] And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a still, small voice.

[24:15] Like Moses, when Elijah was in this spiritual slump, he needed to hear a spiritual sermon from the Lord. And when Elijah came and stood where Moses stood, and heard what Moses heard, and experienced what Moses experienced, the Lord passed by.

[24:36] And you know, as we read, there was wind, but the Lord wasn't in the wind. There was the earthquake, but the Lord wasn't in the earthquake. There was the fire, but the Lord wasn't in the fire. The Lord didn't reveal himself to Elijah in this dramatic way like he did at Mount Carmel.

[24:51] No, the Lord just spoke to Elijah intimately and personally with that still, small voice. And the Lord said to Elijah, what are you doing here, Elijah?

[25:08] And even though Elijah responds in verse 14 with the same complaint, Elijah is soon made to realise that this spiritual sermon, it's not to remove him from the ministry, it's to renew him for the ministry.

[25:24] This spiritual sermon that the Lord gives was to encourage and equip and enable Elijah to continue in his spiritual service.

[25:37] But you know what I love about the Bible? Is how it all holds together. And you look at the experience of Moses in Exodus 34, then the experience of Elijah here in 1 Kings 19.

[25:51] And what we see is that when they were at their lowest and when they were at their weakest and when they thought that the cause of the Lord was finished, the Lord brought his servants to the top of the same mountain in order to preach the same spiritual sermon and remind them that the Lord's sovereign purposes haven't changed, they are still the same.

[26:13] And the wonderful thing about the Bible is that the Lord reminds us again that he's still doing that. Because isn't that what he did with the first members of the New Testament church? You remember when the three most influential men of the early church, Peter, James and John, they were taken up to the top of another mountain.

[26:34] Another mountain that we often refer to in the Bible as the Mount of Transfiguration. And it's there again that the glory of the Lord has been revealed to the church.

[26:45] Jesus is being transfigured before his church. But what I love about that moment on the Mount of Transfiguration is that the two men who appear with Jesus they've seen this all before.

[27:00] They've seen it all before because Moses is there. We're told that Elijah is there and they're standing there with Jesus. And what's remarkable is that Moses and Elijah they received a spiritual sermon when they were in a spiritual slump.

[27:19] And now here in the New Testament church we have the disciples of Jesus. They're in a spiritual slump. And they're in the spiritual slump because well these poor and weak men they're repeatedly being told by Jesus that he's going to die.

[27:35] Jesus keeps telling them again and again and again that he must suffer many things. He must be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again.

[27:47] And the disciples they're so confused they don't understand what Jesus is doing because they think Jesus is going to be their king and overthrow the Romans but that wasn't the Lord's plan.

[27:59] And Jesus gives Peter James and John he gives them this spiritual sermon by revealing his glory to them and reminding them of his sovereign purposes for his church.

[28:13] Jesus sought to lift his disciples out of their spiritual slump by giving them a spiritual sermon in order to renew them for spiritual service.

[28:26] And you remember Peter he asks that question Lord can we not just provide for you three tents one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah Lord can we not just stay here can we not stay on the mountain top here and just bask in your glory and enjoy this moment.

[28:45] And Jesus says to him no no you must go and build my church because the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

[28:57] And you know on each occasion with Moses and with Elijah and with the disciples the Lord spoke to these weak vessels and gave to them a glimpse of his glory and he gave them a glimpse of his glory in order to lift them out of their spiritual slump and give to them a spiritual sermon and renew them for spiritual service.

[29:22] And it's I don't doubt greatest encouragement tonight that in whatever providence we're in whatever situation we're facing or however we may feel in a walk with the Lord the Lord condescends to us the Lord comes to us he comes alongside and he calls us and commands us to feast upon his word.

[29:43] the Lord calls us and commands us to come up the mount and spend a little time in his presence. The Lord calls us and commands us to listen to his still small voice and be reminded that when we are weak then we are strong.

[30:02] My friend the Lord calls us and commands us to gather together just like this around his word to be reminded once again that his grace is sufficient for us to keep going in this wilderness journey.

[30:20] Because there's one thing for sure the Lord knows that this journey is too great for us. The Lord knows that we need strengthening. The Lord knows that we need reminding of his goodness. The Lord knows that we need to be reminded of his love and his faithfulness towards us.

[30:35] The Lord knows that we need to be encouraged to keep going in our spiritual service for the Lord. that's why he comes to us and says arise and eat for the journey is too great for you.

[30:51] But as it was for Moses, Elijah and the disciples after their mountaintop experience they all had to come down and resume their spiritual service.

[31:04] And that's what we see lastly and briefly. A spiritual service. A spiritual service. look at verse 15. The Lord said to Elijah, go return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.

[31:20] And when you arrive you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-mehola you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

[31:34] And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death. And the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I believe seven thousand in Israel and all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.

[31:50] So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him and he was with the twelve. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.

[32:04] When Elijah was in his spiritual slump he thought that the Lord brought him to the top of Mount Horeb so that he would be decommissioned from the Lord's service.

[32:18] But the Lord brought Elijah to Mount Horeb so that he would be recommissioned as the Lord's sermon. Elijah received a spiritual sermon to lift him out of a spiritual slump so that he would be encouraged, equipped and enabled.

[32:34] To resume his spiritual service. The Lord wasn't finished with Elijah. There was still a work to do. And you know having had his table in the wilderness and then his mountaintop experience, the Lord recommissions Elijah and he just sends him back into service.

[32:56] The Lord says to Elijah, go. Go. Go anoint Hazael. Go anoint Jehu. Go and find Elisha.

[33:07] The Lord says to him, Elijah, I'm not done with you yet. Go and call the next generation of kings. Go and call the next generation to carry the mantle.

[33:18] Go and raise up the next generation to follow the Lord. And you know, that's the testimony of scripture. You go through the Bible and you see after all the mountaintop experiences, the Lord calls the next generation to follow him and to serve him.

[33:35] When Moses came down the mount, the Lord provided Joshua. When Elijah came down the mount, the Lord provided Elisha. When the disciples came down the mount, the Lord established his church.

[33:50] When Paul laid down his mantle, the Lord provided Timothy. And you know, it should be a reminder to us that no matter how weak she may look and how opposed and hated she may be, the Lord will always provide for his church.

[34:09] And why is that? Because he loved her and gave himself for her. But you know, we should always view coming like this midweek.

[34:24] We should always view the prayer meeting as the peak of the week. the peak of the week. We should view Wednesday evening as the peak because after Sunday it's downhill and then uphill and then back down.

[34:38] That's how our week goes. And in many ways we should view the Lord's day as the high day where we gather together, this desire to be together. We should view gathering to worship the Lord as a mountaintop experience because it's when we gather around God's word that we see the glory of the Lord.

[35:00] The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And it's when we gather together, it's there that the Lord encourages us, the Lord equips us, the Lord enables us to keep going in our wilderness journey.

[35:17] And you know, what's remarkable is that when we gather like we do this evening, the Lord will speak to us and the Lord will then issue his command to us as we leave.

[35:30] The command that he gave to Elijah, go, go, go back to your home, go back to your workplace, go back to your staff room, go back to your office, go back to your university, go back to the tea shed, go back to school, go back to wherever it is that you're living your life out as a Christian, go back to living your life as a witness for the Lord.

[35:57] Because tonight as we gather around God's word, the Lord is not decommissioning us. We are not here to bow out. The Lord is recommissioning us because we are to go and we are to call the next generation to serve the Lord for his glory.

[36:16] You know, Elijah was a man just like us. He found himself in a spiritual slump, needing to hear a spiritual sermon, in order that he would be encouraged and equipped and enabled to continue in his spiritual service.

[36:34] Arise and eat, he was told, because the journey is too great for you. May the Lord bless these thoughts to us. Let us pray.

[36:48] O Lord, our gracious God, we give thanks to thee that thou art the one who condescends to us in our wilderness, that even when we are at our weakest and at our lowest, thou art one who not only understands, but the one who meets us at our point of need.

[37:06] We thank thee, O Lord, for those precious words, that we are encouraged to arise and eat, because the journey is too great for us. And we know that this journey is great.

[37:18] We know it is a tough journey, but we thank thee and we praise thee that we have this wonderful promise that greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

[37:29] Bless us, Lord, we pray as a congregation. Bless us as individuals in our different homes and different spheres and where we witness. Lord, that thou wouldst use us for thine own glory, that we would have those times, Lord, where we're encouraged and enabled and equipped to continue serving the Lord where thou hast placed us, that we would always have a mind towards the chief end that thou hast given to us, to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

[38:00] Bless us, Lord, together we pray. Remember those who are not with us this evening, for whatever reason it may be, that thou wouldst remember them, Lord, be gracious to them, and meet them, Lord, wherever they are, that they would know thy presence and thy blessing.

[38:14] Watch over us, we ask, keep us on the way, and do us good, for Jesus' sake. Amen. We're going to bring our service to a conclusion by singing the words of Psalm 84.

[38:33] Psalm 84, we're singing from verse 7 down to the end of the psalm. Psalm 84, Psalm 84, we're singing psalm.

[38:45] We have Angus' favourite psalm to start, we have Ian's favourite psalm to finish. Psalm 84 from verse 7. So they from strength unwearied go, still forward unto strength, until in Zion they appear before the Lord at length.

[39:02] Lord God of hosts my prayer hear, O Jacob's God give ear, see God our shield look on the face of thine anointed dear, for in thy courts one day excels a thousand rather in, my God's house will I keep a door, than dwell in tents of sin.

[39:20] So Psalm 84 from verse 7, down to the end of the psalm, to God's praise. Amen. So they from strength unwearied go, still forward, forward, down to strength, until in sight of me appear before the Lord and overthrow of sin.

[40:04] God of guilds and glzesing are now so that lies Look on the face of thine anointed dear.

[40:40] For in thy course one day excels, I'll thus then bother in my God's house when I keep adore.

[41:09] And let it hence all sin. For God the Lord's a sun and shield, in grace and glory give.

[41:37] And dwell with hope, no good from them. The time rightly to live.

[41:56] O thou that art the Lord of hosts, that mine is truly best.

[42:15] Who my assurance confidence, only a hold of rest.

[42:35] Amen. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.