100:00:01,000 –> 00:00:05,360Some Christians have one simple answer for everything.200:00:08,400 –> 00:00:12,880No matter what problem you present to them, they’ve got one line answer for everything.300:00:13,120 –> 00:00:15,880They’ll just tell you and you know what they’re gonna say before they say it…400:00:15,880 –> 00:00:19,400Just pray about it. Just pray about it, that’s the answer for everything.500:00:20,200 –> 00:00:22,799It’s not easy to pray when your mind is confused.600:00:23,559 –> 00:00:26,520If you can’t think straight, you can’t pray straight.700:00:27,400 –> 00:00:30,520Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.800:00:30,719 –> 00:00:33,439I’m David Pick thanks for being with us today.900:00:33,439 –> 00:00:35,880and Colin, I’m glad you’re talking about this today,1000:00:36,119 –> 00:00:40,320because that answer just seems so unhelpful sometimes.1100:00:40,560 –> 00:00:41,680There are times in our lives,1200:00:41,680 –> 00:00:46,040when we’re really not sure how to pray, when we’re feeling so overwhelmed.1300:00:46,400 –> 00:00:49,400And of course that these words can be said as wise counseling.1400:00:49,400 –> 00:00:51,520But it can also be a kind of flippant response,1500:00:51,520 –> 00:00:53,799right? The Bible is such a wonderful book.1600:00:54,040 –> 00:00:56,040Here we are in Psalm 73,1700:00:56,160 –> 00:00:58,240where we’ve got a godly man1800:00:58,680 –> 00:01:04,800who is really struggling, and he knows that he can’t actually pray very well because1900:01:05,120 –> 00:01:08,919the whole point of his struggle is that he’s got real questions about God.2000:01:08,919 –> 00:01:10,239How do you talk to God2100:01:10,239 –> 00:01:11,879when you’re in this confusion?2200:01:11,879 –> 00:01:15,480Where you say, I don’t know what’s happening and Psalm 73,2300:01:15,480 –> 00:01:19,199which was written after God brought him through this experience,2400:01:19,480 –> 00:01:23,800Charts how God turned him around and it didn’t begin with prayer.2500:01:23,800 –> 00:01:25,239It ended with prayer.2600:01:25,320 –> 00:01:26,760But it didn’t begin with prayer.2700:01:26,760 –> 00:01:27,760It began somewhere else.2800:01:27,760 –> 00:01:31,480We’re going to see where it began and how it progressed in the program today.2900:01:31,559 –> 00:01:34,199So join us today, if you can, in Psalm 733000:01:34,559 –> 00:01:36,540as we begin the message think.3100:01:36,839 –> 00:01:37,599Here’s Colin.3200:01:37,599 –> 00:01:42,199Well, please keep your bibles open at Psalm 733300:01:43,040 –> 00:01:46,919as we continue through this marvelous personal story together.3400:01:47,239 –> 00:01:50,120It’s really the testimony of a man called Asaph.3500:01:50,639 –> 00:01:52,919And remember, he was a good man.3600:01:53,199 –> 00:01:55,040He was a mature believer.3700:01:55,040 –> 00:01:57,639In fact, he was in full time ministry.3800:01:57,639 –> 00:02:02,480He was a Levite, and he had been called to minister before the Ark of God.3900:02:03,400 –> 00:02:06,559But as we said last time, he came to a place in his life4000:02:06,559 –> 00:02:08,880where he was facing some major problems.4100:02:09,880 –> 00:02:12,839He couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in the world.4200:02:13,960 –> 00:02:17,080He couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in his own life,4300:02:17,080 –> 00:02:19,279and therefore he had come to the conclusion4400:02:19,699 –> 00:02:25,559that he could no longer see the point in continuing to pursue a godly life.4500:02:25,559 –> 00:02:28,020And looking back on this crisis,4600:02:28,020 –> 00:02:31,339he writes this psalm under the inspiration of the Spirit,4700:02:31,339 –> 00:02:34,940and he shares with other believers with us today his story.4800:02:34,940 –> 00:02:36,220He’s saying to us,4900:02:36,220 –> 00:02:39,139I almost gave up.5000:02:39,139 –> 00:02:42,460If I had followed where my mind and my heart was going5100:02:42,460 –> 00:02:45,100at that particularly dark time of my life,5200:02:45,100 –> 00:02:48,059I have to tell you, I would have let everybody down.5300:02:48,059 –> 00:02:53,059I would have betrayed your children.5400:02:53,360 –> 00:02:54,660That’s what he says,5500:02:54,660 –> 00:02:58,339and that’s where we got to last time in verse 15.5600:02:58,339 –> 00:03:00,080Now, the marvelous thing, as we’ve seen already,5700:03:00,080 –> 00:03:02,259is that God turned this man around.5800:03:02,259 –> 00:03:04,679God brought Asaph through this crisis,5900:03:04,720 –> 00:03:07,960and he’s able to do the same thing for you.6000:03:07,960 –> 00:03:11,880We’ve been seeing that Asaph made a five-point turn,6100:03:11,880 –> 00:03:16,119and we’re coming to the second point of that this morning.6200:03:16,119 –> 00:03:17,500Last week we saw, remember,6300:03:17,500 –> 00:03:21,919that the turn began for this man when he made a decision,6400:03:21,919 –> 00:03:24,199and that decision was to be loyal6500:03:24,199 –> 00:03:25,800to the Lord and his people.6600:03:25,800 –> 00:03:29,039I will not betray your children.6700:03:29,039 –> 00:03:30,520That was his decision,6800:03:30,520 –> 00:03:32,800and when he stopped dead in his tracks,6900:03:32,899 –> 00:03:35,520he would no longer follow what his mind was taking him.7000:03:35,520 –> 00:03:38,559He committed himself to loyalty to God and to his people.7100:03:38,559 –> 00:03:40,759That’s where the change began,7200:03:40,759 –> 00:03:44,220and we learned last week that really the first step7300:03:44,220 –> 00:03:45,720in turning your life around7400:03:45,720 –> 00:03:50,119is not finding an answer to your questions.7500:03:50,119 –> 00:03:54,000God often calls us to live without answers to our questions.7600:03:54,000 –> 00:03:56,360The first step is not finding an answer to your questions.7700:03:56,360 –> 00:04:00,479The first step is to make a decision,7800:04:00,479 –> 00:04:05,240and that’s why we pictured our friend Asaph,7900:04:05,240 –> 00:04:09,320who we met last time, holding a stop sign,8000:04:09,320 –> 00:04:13,240because that word stop really summed up in one word8100:04:13,240 –> 00:04:15,960the whole of last week’s message.8200:04:15,960 –> 00:04:18,600Turning your life around begins when you stop,8300:04:18,600 –> 00:04:20,440you make a decision.8400:04:20,440 –> 00:04:24,179I will not betray the Lord.8500:04:24,179 –> 00:04:28,640Now, today’s message is also summed up in one word.8600:04:28,700 –> 00:04:30,660I want to keep this nice and easy so we can remember.8700:04:30,660 –> 00:04:32,820Stop was last week.8800:04:32,820 –> 00:04:34,660One word for this week.8900:04:34,660 –> 00:04:36,260Think.9000:04:36,260 –> 00:04:37,220Think.9100:04:37,220 –> 00:04:40,320Now let’s look at verse 16 as we move forward together.9200:04:41,500 –> 00:04:45,899”When I tried to understand all this,’ he says,’9300:04:45,899 –> 00:04:48,339that’s all the problem and all the questions9400:04:48,339 –> 00:04:50,000that were going on in his mind,9500:04:50,000 –> 00:04:53,739”it was oppressive to me.9600:04:53,739 –> 00:04:58,579”I looked at these problems in my life.9700:04:58,579 –> 00:05:01,739”I looked at the problems in the world9800:05:01,739 –> 00:05:07,320”and my mind went round and round and round9900:05:07,320 –> 00:05:09,000”and round and round.10000:05:09,000 –> 00:05:10,339”I was awake at night.’10100:05:10,339 –> 00:05:12,760”Why is this happening?’10200:05:12,760 –> 00:05:14,299I was saying to myself,10300:05:14,299 –> 00:05:15,559”It was oppressive to me.10400:05:15,559 –> 00:05:16,959”I couldn’t break free from it.10500:05:16,959 –> 00:05:17,959”I just couldn’t get out.10600:05:17,959 –> 00:05:18,959”Oppressive.’10700:05:18,959 –> 00:05:21,959It’s a terrible thing for your mind10800:05:22,940 –> 00:05:26,420Now, it’s a terrible thing when your mind is confused.10900:05:26,420 –> 00:05:29,119It goes round and round and round in circles.11000:05:31,739 –> 00:05:35,459And the second step in Aesop’s recovery,11100:05:35,459 –> 00:05:37,980the second point of his turn,11200:05:39,519 –> 00:05:44,380was that God straightened out the confused thinking11300:05:44,380 –> 00:05:47,700that reigned in this man’s mind.11400:05:47,700 –> 00:05:48,739Stop.11500:05:49,859 –> 00:05:50,700Think.11600:05:52,320 –> 00:05:53,359Now, how’s that gonna happen?11700:05:53,359 –> 00:05:55,959How does confused thinking,11800:05:55,959 –> 00:06:00,399that sometimes reigns in our minds, get straightened out?11900:06:00,399 –> 00:06:02,480I was helped and intrigued12000:06:02,480 –> 00:06:05,040by a comment of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones on this.12100:06:05,040 –> 00:06:08,839He points out that some Christians12200:06:08,839 –> 00:06:13,239have one simple answer for everything.12300:06:13,239 –> 00:06:15,140Doesn’t matter what problem you present to them,12400:06:15,140 –> 00:06:17,600they’ve got one line answer for everything.12500:06:17,600 –> 00:06:18,440They’ll just tell you,12600:06:18,440 –> 00:06:19,519and you know what they’re gonna say12700:06:19,600 –> 00:06:21,279before they say it, just pray about it.12800:06:21,279 –> 00:06:22,100Just pray about it.12900:06:22,100 –> 00:06:22,940Just pray about it.13000:06:22,940 –> 00:06:24,179That’s the answer for everything.13100:06:26,540 –> 00:06:27,480Lloyd-Jones points out,13200:06:27,480 –> 00:06:30,820Surely rightly, it’s not easy to pray13300:06:30,820 –> 00:06:32,320when your mind is confused.13400:06:34,279 –> 00:06:37,519If you can’t think straight, you can’t pray straight.13500:06:39,799 –> 00:06:42,279So frankly, when someone says to you or says to me13600:06:42,279 –> 00:06:43,559at a point where we’re really confused,13700:06:43,559 –> 00:06:44,440hey just pray about it.13800:06:44,440 –> 00:06:47,140It’s not a lot of help and you know that, and so do I.13900:06:50,160 –> 00:06:51,640Well, Asaph’s going to tell us14000:06:51,640 –> 00:06:54,640what did turn his thinking around.14100:06:54,640 –> 00:06:56,079What did bring him to the place14200:06:56,079 –> 00:07:00,980where he could pray meaningfully and clearly.14300:07:02,239 –> 00:07:04,480I got to tell you, I found this so practical,14400:07:04,480 –> 00:07:08,079so helpful in my own life and experience and my prayer14500:07:08,079 –> 00:07:11,739in coming to this today is that God will use this14600:07:11,739 –> 00:07:14,440to bring help and encouragement14700:07:14,440 –> 00:07:18,140and the straightening out of confused thinking14800:07:18,140 –> 00:07:20,600in our minds and in our hearts today.14900:07:21,940 –> 00:07:23,220Look at what Asaph says.15000:07:24,559 –> 00:07:27,720When I tried to understand all this,15100:07:28,779 –> 00:07:31,140it was oppressive to me15200:07:32,320 –> 00:07:37,059till I entered the sanctuary of God.15300:07:39,239 –> 00:07:42,459Now, Asaph lived at the time of David15400:07:42,459 –> 00:07:43,799and the sanctuary, of course,15500:07:43,799 –> 00:07:46,140was the place of worship at that time.15600:07:46,140 –> 00:07:47,859Remember the temple was not built15700:07:47,859 –> 00:07:49,980until the days of Solomon,15800:07:49,980 –> 00:07:52,739and Asaph’s before that time.15900:07:52,739 –> 00:07:54,420The sanctuary was where David put16000:07:54,420 –> 00:07:56,179the Ark of the Covenant.16100:07:56,179 –> 00:07:57,980And the Ark of the Covenant was, of course,16200:07:57,980 –> 00:08:01,299a large wooden box that was carried on poles.16300:08:01,299 –> 00:08:02,980And by the time of David,16400:08:02,980 –> 00:08:07,320it was nearly 500 years old.16500:08:08,200 –> 00:08:10,220The significance of the Ark of the Covenant,16600:08:10,220 –> 00:08:11,619which of course had been constructed16700:08:11,619 –> 00:08:12,579in the time of Moses16800:08:12,579 –> 00:08:13,959when the people were in the wilderness,16900:08:13,959 –> 00:08:16,660was that this was where God had said17000:08:16,920 –> 00:08:19,040that he would meet with his people.17100:08:19,040 –> 00:08:22,059So when God’s people were traveling in the wilderness,17200:08:22,059 –> 00:08:24,279nearly 500 years previously,17300:08:24,279 –> 00:08:27,019by the time of Asaph they carried the Ark with them.17400:08:27,019 –> 00:08:28,500When they came into the promised land,17500:08:28,500 –> 00:08:30,179they carried the Ark with them.17600:08:30,179 –> 00:08:31,500They came to meet with God17700:08:31,500 –> 00:08:33,419when they were in the promised land17800:08:33,419 –> 00:08:35,780at the place where David put the Ark17900:08:35,780 –> 00:08:37,700that was in this tent like structure18000:08:37,700 –> 00:08:40,619called the sanctuary in Jerusalem.18100:08:41,500 –> 00:08:42,940Of course, nobody ever saw the Ark.18200:08:42,940 –> 00:08:43,780You remember that.18300:08:43,780 –> 00:08:45,940It was kept behind a curtain.18400:08:45,940 –> 00:08:48,020So Asaph didn’t actually see it,18500:08:48,020 –> 00:08:51,500even though he was called to minister in front of it.18600:08:51,500 –> 00:08:53,900But the point is that when he went into the sanctuary,18700:08:53,900 –> 00:08:56,140the sanctuary was the place where the Arck was.18800:08:56,140 –> 00:08:57,419He knew it was there.18900:08:57,419 –> 00:08:59,200The Ark was behind the curtain.19000:08:59,200 –> 00:09:01,900Actually that’s God teaching us in pictures again19100:09:01,900 –> 00:09:03,099because we draw near to God.19200:09:03,099 –> 00:09:04,940We don’t see him,19300:09:04,940 –> 00:09:06,260but we know that he is there19400:09:07,299 –> 00:09:10,580and God was teaching his people19500:09:10,580 –> 00:09:13,080that they could be sure and confident of his presence19600:09:13,080 –> 00:09:14,380even when they couldn’t see him19700:09:14,380 –> 00:09:16,400with this imagery of the Ark19800:09:16,400 –> 00:09:18,440where his presence was promised19900:09:18,440 –> 00:09:21,159that was hidden behind the curtain.20000:09:22,479 –> 00:09:25,419And of course, that old Arck could tell a few stories20100:09:25,419 –> 00:09:26,960from the last 500 years.20200:09:28,200 –> 00:09:30,599Constructed in the wilderness,20300:09:30,599 –> 00:09:32,260carried onto the field of battle,20400:09:32,260 –> 00:09:34,119captured once by God’s enemies20500:09:34,119 –> 00:09:36,419who were absolutely terrified when they saw what happened20600:09:36,419 –> 00:09:38,340when they got hold of it.20700:09:38,340 –> 00:09:41,900Abandoned on a farm during the lean years of Saul.20800:09:41,900 –> 00:09:43,880Now it had been brought back to Jerusalem20900:09:44,739 –> 00:09:46,119when placed in the sanctuary.21000:09:46,119 –> 00:09:48,500It was a box, but it contained three things,21100:09:48,500 –> 00:09:50,739you know what was in the Ark of the Covenant?21200:09:50,739 –> 00:09:52,219The tablets of stone,21300:09:52,219 –> 00:09:54,200on which God had written the ten commandments21400:09:54,200 –> 00:09:55,380by His own finger.21500:09:56,380 –> 00:09:59,500A golden pot that was filled with mana,21600:09:59,500 –> 00:10:04,099a great reminder of how God provided for His people21700:10:04,099 –> 00:10:06,440and brought them through the driest and deadest of times21800:10:06,440 –> 00:10:08,140in the wilderness.21900:10:08,140 –> 00:10:10,260Aaron’s rod that budded,22000:10:10,260 –> 00:10:12,700a reminder that God is the God of miracles22100:10:12,700 –> 00:10:15,020and that God has opened a way through the high priest22200:10:15,020 –> 00:10:16,679for us to come to peace with Him.22300:10:17,859 –> 00:10:20,700The Ark, in other words, told the story22400:10:20,700 –> 00:10:23,260of the promises, the provision, and the presence22500:10:23,260 –> 00:10:25,700of God for His people through the centuries22600:10:26,739 –> 00:10:30,239in every circumstance of life.22700:10:32,179 –> 00:10:35,780Now, there’s something very important for us to grasp here.22800:10:35,780 –> 00:10:37,239Asaph’s confused.22900:10:38,659 –> 00:10:41,219He’s got all kinds of unanswered questions23000:10:41,260 –> 00:10:42,539that are running through his mind.23100:10:42,539 –> 00:10:44,179Things are going wrong in his life.23200:10:44,179 –> 00:10:48,419His mind needs to be straightened out by the truth,23300:10:49,880 –> 00:10:53,559and he’s telling us, that’s what happened23400:10:54,859 –> 00:10:56,520when I came into the sanctuary.23500:10:58,940 –> 00:11:03,940Coming to worship is not escaping from your problems.23600:11:06,260 –> 00:11:09,640It’s coming into an environment where you are faced23700:11:09,640 –> 00:11:11,280with God’s truth in such a way23800:11:11,280 –> 00:11:14,840that you’ll be strengthened to face your problems.23900:11:16,619 –> 00:11:20,000Coming to worship is not like going to the cinema24000:11:20,000 –> 00:11:23,919where you get about two hours relief24100:11:23,919 –> 00:11:26,919by being drawn into a temporary kind of world,24200:11:26,919 –> 00:11:29,219and then you have to go back to reality again.24300:11:30,859 –> 00:11:34,640No, coming to worship is coming into the place24400:11:34,640 –> 00:11:37,640where your thinking is changed in such a way24500:11:37,640 –> 00:11:39,119that you can go out to face the world24600:11:39,140 –> 00:11:41,520in a way that you couldn’t have done so before.24700:11:42,440 –> 00:11:43,880Now of course there are a lot of folks24800:11:43,880 –> 00:11:45,760who have the idea that Christianity24900:11:45,760 –> 00:11:47,320is really just about aesthetics,25000:11:47,320 –> 00:11:50,659that it’s about a kind of emotional crutch.25100:11:50,659 –> 00:11:53,340This is why Karl Marx said25200:11:53,340 –> 00:11:58,159that religion is, what, the opiate of the people.25300:11:58,159 –> 00:12:00,179And frankly, in many cases he was right.25400:12:00,179 –> 00:12:03,159That’s how many people use Christianity.25500:12:03,159 –> 00:12:05,320They’ve never really understood what it is.25600:12:06,219 –> 00:12:09,320But we do not come to worship for some kind of opiate.25700:12:10,979 –> 00:12:12,460We’re doing what Asaph does.25800:12:12,460 –> 00:12:13,979We come into the sanctuary,25900:12:13,979 –> 00:12:15,020we come into the place26000:12:15,020 –> 00:12:17,280where we find the presence of God26100:12:18,880 –> 00:12:22,080in order to find strength to face the realities of life26200:12:22,080 –> 00:12:26,640as our confused thinking gets straightened out by his truth.26300:12:26,640 –> 00:12:26,979You’re listening to26400:12:26,979 –> 00:12:29,020Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith26500:12:29,020 –> 00:12:31,419and a message called Think,26600:12:31,419 –> 00:12:34,140part of our series I Almost Gave Up,26700:12:34,140 –> 00:12:37,760all about Asaph’s story from Psalm 73.26800:12:37,760 –> 00:12:39,799If you ever miss one of our series26900:12:39,799 –> 00:12:42,960you can always catch up or go back and listen again27000:12:42,960 –> 00:12:48,039online at our website openthebible.org.uk.27100:12:48,039 –> 00:12:50,640Open the Bible is supported by our listeners27200:12:50,640 –> 00:12:52,039and this month, as every month,27300:12:52,039 –> 00:12:53,500we have a special offer27400:12:53,500 –> 00:12:57,260if you want to start supporting Open the Bible financially.27500:12:57,260 –> 00:13:00,140If you’re able to set up a new direct debit27600:13:00,140 –> 00:13:01,539to the work of Open the Bible27700:13:01,539 –> 00:13:03,500in the amount of five pounds per month27800:13:03,559 –> 00:13:07,140or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,27900:13:07,140 –> 00:13:08,820we’ll say thank you by sending you28000:13:08,820 –> 00:13:12,440completely free a copy of Pastor Colin’s book,28100:13:12,440 –> 00:13:13,859The All Who Grieve.28200:13:13,859 –> 00:13:14,940Later on in the program,28300:13:14,940 –> 00:13:17,219I’ll be talking to Sue McLeish28400:13:17,219 –> 00:13:19,059about her experience of grief28500:13:19,059 –> 00:13:21,219after she lost her husband.28600:13:21,219 –> 00:13:23,200So I hope you’ll stay with us for that.28700:13:23,200 –> 00:13:26,099Back to the message now, here’s Colin.28800:13:26,099 –> 00:13:29,659Coming to worship is coming into the place28900:13:29,659 –> 00:13:32,099where you’re thinking is changed29000:13:32,099 –> 00:13:33,340in such a way that you can go out29100:13:33,580 –> 00:13:34,400and face the world in a way29200:13:34,400 –> 00:13:36,299that you couldn’t have done so before.29300:13:37,479 –> 00:13:38,960We’re doing what Asaph does.29400:13:38,960 –> 00:13:40,460We come into the sanctuary.29500:13:40,460 –> 00:13:42,140We come into the place where we find29600:13:42,140 –> 00:13:46,059the presence of God in order to find strength29700:13:46,059 –> 00:13:48,099of face the realities of life29800:13:48,099 –> 00:13:50,340as our confused thinking gets straightened29900:13:50,340 –> 00:13:51,840out by His truth.30000:13:53,500 –> 00:13:55,320Now let’s see how that happened for Asaph.30100:13:55,320 –> 00:13:56,900It’s a wonderful story.30200:13:58,400 –> 00:13:59,260Here’s the first thing,30300:13:59,260 –> 00:14:01,280that as he came into the sanctuary,30400:14:01,380 –> 00:14:04,140what he was doing of course was remembering God’s truth.30500:14:04,140 –> 00:14:06,539That is the significance of the ark.30600:14:08,020 –> 00:14:11,900The arc was the reminder that God had been walking30700:14:11,900 –> 00:14:15,539with his people for 500 years30800:14:15,539 –> 00:14:17,659and in fact more than that before the time30900:14:17,659 –> 00:14:18,679of the ark as well.31000:14:20,659 –> 00:14:23,299Here’s Asaph and he’s so consumed31100:14:23,299 –> 00:14:24,700with these burning questions31200:14:24,700 –> 00:14:26,080of what’s going on in his own life,31300:14:26,080 –> 00:14:27,299he comes into the sanctuary.31400:14:27,299 –> 00:14:29,460He sees he’s part of something much bigger.31500:14:30,280 –> 00:14:33,479God has brought his people through the wilderness.31600:14:35,119 –> 00:14:37,719God has kept his people alive in the desert.31700:14:38,979 –> 00:14:41,719God brought his people into the land of Canaan31800:14:41,719 –> 00:14:45,359and overcame powerful enemies.31900:14:45,359 –> 00:14:47,320He has kept his people,32000:14:47,320 –> 00:14:48,159he has protected his people,32100:14:48,159 –> 00:14:49,000he has guided his people,32200:14:49,000 –> 00:14:50,140he has preserved his people,32300:14:50,140 –> 00:14:54,119he has sustained his people from generation to generation.32400:14:55,080 –> 00:15:00,080And now Asaph comes near to the same ark of God32500:15:04,280 –> 00:15:07,000and he takes his place as a worshiper32600:15:07,000 –> 00:15:10,260in this great line of succession.32700:15:11,440 –> 00:15:13,640And he remembers that this God,32800:15:13,640 –> 00:15:18,640this God is now with him.32900:15:21,159 –> 00:15:22,239That’s life changing.33000:15:24,919 –> 00:15:27,000I want to read a few lines33100:15:27,000 –> 00:15:31,059from one of my very favorite authors, James Denney.33200:15:32,159 –> 00:15:33,280He says this,33300:15:34,559 –> 00:15:37,219we need the common faith33400:15:38,159 –> 00:15:40,400to sustain our individual faith.33500:15:42,280 –> 00:15:45,200We need the consciousness of the children of God33600:15:45,200 –> 00:15:49,659in all ages to fortify our wavering belief.33700:15:50,659 –> 00:15:54,919And then he says, to be at home in the church33800:15:54,919 –> 00:15:58,640is to absorb this strength unconsciously.33900:15:59,539 –> 00:16:00,900And I love this next bit,34000:16:00,900 –> 00:16:05,780it is to be delivered from the shallows and the miseries34100:16:05,780 –> 00:16:09,260of our too narrow experience34200:16:09,260 –> 00:16:11,320and to be set afloat34300:16:11,320 –> 00:16:13,840on the broad stream of Christian conviction34400:16:13,840 –> 00:16:15,500which gathers impetus and volume34500:16:15,500 –> 00:16:16,659with every generation.34600:16:16,659 –> 00:16:17,919The saints are by.34700:16:20,219 –> 00:16:21,059See?34800:16:22,000 –> 00:16:23,659There’s not just your faith,34900:16:23,659 –> 00:16:24,900there’s our faith.35000:16:26,500 –> 00:16:29,179There’s not just your experience,35100:16:29,179 –> 00:16:30,979there’s our experience.35200:16:31,940 –> 00:16:33,659There’s not just your testimony,35300:16:33,659 –> 00:16:34,979there’s our testimony.35400:16:34,979 –> 00:16:36,780And not just our testimony here35500:16:36,780 –> 00:16:38,599in this little capsule of time,35600:16:38,599 –> 00:16:40,820but our testimony as part of the testimony35700:16:40,820 –> 00:16:42,739of the whole church of Jesus Christ35800:16:42,739 –> 00:16:45,780that’s now been going for 2000 years.35900:16:46,479 –> 00:16:48,140You know,36000:16:48,140 –> 00:16:51,299it’s a great blessing to be part of the body of Christ.36100:16:52,859 –> 00:16:55,780There is nothing in your life36200:16:55,780 –> 00:16:58,219that God’s people have not faced before.36300:16:59,260 –> 00:17:01,280There are no questions in your mind36400:17:01,280 –> 00:17:02,780that have not been asked before.36500:17:02,780 –> 00:17:05,939People have lived and died on the promises of God36600:17:05,939 –> 00:17:08,219for 2000 years.36700:17:09,939 –> 00:17:12,239No testing, says the apostle Paul,36800:17:12,239 –> 00:17:13,280has come to you36900:17:13,380 –> 00:17:17,280except that which is common to man.37000:17:18,439 –> 00:17:22,520There’s nothing unique about your pain or mine.37100:17:24,040 –> 00:17:26,280To be delivered from the shallows37200:17:26,280 –> 00:17:30,520and the miseries of too narrow an experience, says Denny,37300:17:30,520 –> 00:17:32,839and to be set afloat37400:17:32,839 –> 00:17:36,140on the broad stream of Christian conviction.37500:17:36,140 –> 00:17:38,760That’s what happens when we gather together in worship,37600:17:38,760 –> 00:17:41,599when the church on earth joins with the church in heaven37700:17:41,599 –> 00:17:44,520and I see coming out of my little world37800:17:44,520 –> 00:17:47,140that I’m actually part of something far bigger37900:17:47,140 –> 00:17:49,579that is in the hand of God.38000:17:51,640 –> 00:17:52,819Remember God’s truth.38100:17:55,219 –> 00:17:56,880Here’s the second thing that happened38200:17:56,880 –> 00:17:58,479when he came into the sanctuary.38300:17:59,339 –> 00:18:01,339What would you expect him to find in the sanctuary?38400:18:01,339 –> 00:18:05,160Well, the ark and people.38500:18:07,900 –> 00:18:10,260Meet with God’s people.38600:18:10,260 –> 00:18:11,239Remember God’s truth?38700:18:11,239 –> 00:18:12,119Meet with God’s people.38800:18:12,119 –> 00:18:13,979That’ll straighten your thinking out.38900:18:17,339 –> 00:18:19,239The encouragement of God’s people39000:18:21,260 –> 00:18:25,239is one of the great means39100:18:25,239 –> 00:18:27,520that God uses to strengthen us39200:18:27,520 –> 00:18:29,479when we feel like giving up.39300:18:32,060 –> 00:18:35,000By the way, that is why you should never withdraw39400:18:35,000 –> 00:18:37,560from God’s people when you’re discouraged.39500:18:38,660 –> 00:18:39,979See, when we become discouraged,39600:18:39,979 –> 00:18:41,260there is a certain impetus that say,39700:18:41,260 –> 00:18:43,420hey, I’ll just stay home, I’m not gonna come to worship,39800:18:43,420 –> 00:18:45,339no, I’ll just withdraw.39900:18:47,000 –> 00:18:49,979And isolation is your greatest danger40000:18:49,979 –> 00:18:50,939when you’re discouraged.40100:18:50,939 –> 00:18:52,780You need others around you.40200:18:52,780 –> 00:18:53,619We all do.40300:18:56,160 –> 00:18:57,339And Esau does the right thing.40400:18:57,339 –> 00:18:59,099He not only goes to a sanctuary40500:18:59,099 –> 00:19:01,800where he finds the presence of the ark40600:19:01,800 –> 00:19:05,079that speaks to him of God’s faithfulness over generations.40700:19:05,079 –> 00:19:08,219He comes to the place what he’s going to meet with others40800:19:08,239 –> 00:19:10,479who share the same faith40900:19:10,479 –> 00:19:14,140and are able to encourage and strengthen one another in God.41000:19:15,800 –> 00:19:17,140God will use his people41100:19:17,140 –> 00:19:19,380to bring strength and encouragement to you.41200:19:20,979 –> 00:19:22,599And sometimes that will happen41300:19:22,599 –> 00:19:25,739in the most unexpected of ways.41400:19:28,199 –> 00:19:29,500Let me speak personally.41500:19:30,739 –> 00:19:35,260Let me tell you how God blessed me last Sunday.41600:19:36,079 –> 00:19:39,619Dick Bender.41700:19:42,400 –> 00:19:44,160Dick’s one of our senior members.41800:19:46,300 –> 00:19:49,199He’s been through very extensive surgery.41900:19:50,479 –> 00:19:52,719He’s a man of extraordinary courage.42000:19:54,780 –> 00:19:57,579Last Sunday, we’d just finished the third service.42100:19:57,579 –> 00:19:58,599I had my coat on.42200:19:58,599 –> 00:20:01,660I was about to head out through the main entrance there,42300:20:01,660 –> 00:20:04,819head off home, got to the front door of the church42400:20:04,839 –> 00:20:09,280and Dick was there with his stick, about to leave.42500:20:11,140 –> 00:20:12,939Hadn’t seen him or spoken to him for quite a while.42600:20:12,939 –> 00:20:15,439I said how good it was to see him at church42700:20:15,439 –> 00:20:17,579after all that he’d been through.42800:20:17,579 –> 00:20:21,020And he made some comment about just keep pressing on.42900:20:23,260 –> 00:20:24,560I held the door for him.43000:20:26,180 –> 00:20:29,339Said goodbye and walked across the car park.43100:20:32,140 –> 00:20:33,699And here’s what I was thinking.43200:20:35,579 –> 00:20:38,140If he can do what he’s doing43300:20:38,140 –> 00:20:40,560after all that he’s been through,43400:20:40,560 –> 00:20:43,280what in the world do I have to complain about?43500:20:45,199 –> 00:20:49,739Actually, I think God was speaking to me through Dick.43600:20:50,880 –> 00:20:52,540And he knew nothing about it.43700:20:54,339 –> 00:20:56,699The truth is I’ve thought about him43800:20:56,699 –> 00:20:59,560four or five times in the last week.43900:21:00,959 –> 00:21:03,060I’ve thanked God for his testimony.44000:21:03,880 –> 00:21:06,540And I’ve drawn encouragement from the example44100:21:06,540 –> 00:21:08,520of a man who just keeps struggling on,44200:21:08,520 –> 00:21:10,060who wants to be here in worship.44300:21:10,060 –> 00:21:12,800Despite great difficulties, he loves Christ44400:21:12,800 –> 00:21:14,339and he just keeps pressing on.44500:21:17,939 –> 00:21:20,880Now, I’ll tell you, I’m really glad44600:21:20,880 –> 00:21:23,579that Dick made the effort to come to church last Sunday.44700:21:23,579 –> 00:21:25,140I don’t know what it did for him,44800:21:26,459 –> 00:21:28,479but I know what he did for me.44900:21:28,479 –> 00:21:30,520An encouraging word there from Colin45000:21:30,520 –> 00:21:32,780that we can come right into God’s sanctuary45100:21:33,380 –> 00:21:36,339as we begin to get our lives back on track.45200:21:36,339 –> 00:21:38,000You’ve been listening to Open the Bible45300:21:38,000 –> 00:21:40,780with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called,45400:21:40,780 –> 00:21:41,859Think!45500:21:41,859 –> 00:21:44,339Part of our series, I almost gave up45600:21:44,339 –> 00:21:48,420based on psalm 73 and Asaph’s story.45700:21:48,420 –> 00:21:49,859If you ever missed one of our series,45800:21:49,859 –> 00:21:52,180you can always go back and listen again45900:21:52,180 –> 00:21:55,140online at our website openthebible.org.uk46000:21:56,780 –> 00:21:58,300or you can find us as a podcast46100:21:58,300 –> 00:22:00,500and those are on all the main podcast sites.46200:22:00,500 –> 00:22:02,660Search for Open the Bible UK46300:22:03,500 –> 00:22:05,500or follow the link from our website.46400:22:05,500 –> 00:22:07,819Open the Bible is supported by our listeners46500:22:07,819 –> 00:22:09,619and this month, if you’re able to begin46600:22:09,619 –> 00:22:11,780supporting Open the Bible in that way,46700:22:11,780 –> 00:22:13,599we’d love to say thank you46800:22:13,599 –> 00:22:16,459by sending you a copy of Pastor Colin’s book,46900:22:16,459 –> 00:22:18,300For All Who Grieve.47000:22:18,300 –> 00:22:21,339I’m with Sue MacLeish who many of you will know47100:22:21,339 –> 00:22:24,619is the voice of Open the Bible Daily.47200:22:24,619 –> 00:22:27,540Sue’s husband Ian died a few years ago.47300:22:27,540 –> 00:22:31,660Sue, how did grief affect you after Ian died?47400:22:31,660 –> 00:22:34,020Well, when Ian died, you know,47500:22:34,020 –> 00:22:38,060after a long period of battling with prostate cancer,47600:22:38,060 –> 00:22:40,500I was in a pretty poor shape altogether.47700:22:41,380 –> 00:22:44,619Ian’s actual death was not a peaceful one47800:22:44,619 –> 00:22:48,280and it left me with a degree of post-traumatic stress47900:22:48,280 –> 00:22:50,520and a recurrence of depression48000:22:50,520 –> 00:22:52,400that I’d previously experienced48100:22:52,400 –> 00:22:54,199more than once in my life, actually.48200:22:55,160 –> 00:22:58,660Mentally and spiritually I was in a very dark48300:22:58,660 –> 00:23:00,520and a very fearful place.48400:23:01,920 –> 00:23:04,300Very soon, I find I was incapable48500:23:04,300 –> 00:23:08,339of fulfilling any of my previous church duties.48600:23:08,339 –> 00:23:10,660My brain just seemed to shut down.48700:23:10,660 –> 00:23:12,780It was a struggle to keep going,48800:23:12,780 –> 00:23:14,979to get through every day.48900:23:14,979 –> 00:23:17,180Nothing really touched me.49000:23:17,180 –> 00:23:18,520I had no hope.49100:23:18,520 –> 00:23:20,939I was just existing,49200:23:20,939 –> 00:23:23,540not living in any real way at all.49300:23:24,000 –> 00:23:26,680And when you were at your lowest ebb, really,49400:23:26,680 –> 00:23:29,560that’s when you discovered Open The Bible.49500:23:29,640 –> 00:23:33,719But the moment I discovered the videos of Pastor Colin49600:23:33,719 –> 00:23:36,900delivering his Open The Bible sermons,49700:23:36,900 –> 00:23:39,780it was so a light had been switched on.49800:23:39,780 –> 00:23:43,780The darkness lifted and I found I was beginning49900:23:43,780 –> 00:23:47,400to understand in ways I’d never had before50000:23:47,400 –> 00:23:50,160the fullness of the gospel50100:23:50,160 –> 00:23:51,979and the whole Bible story.50200:23:52,880 –> 00:23:57,660It was a really exciting time and I had so much to learn.50300:23:57,660 –> 00:24:00,319So I know you’ve more recently read Colin’s book50400:24:00,319 –> 00:24:01,800For All Who Grieve.50500:24:01,800 –> 00:24:03,479What’s your impression of the book50600:24:03,479 –> 00:24:06,439for those who are going through what you’ve been through?50700:24:06,439 –> 00:24:08,000Well, yes, you know this book50800:24:08,000 –> 00:24:11,400For All Who Grieve is wonderfully confirming.50900:24:11,400 –> 00:24:12,839You’re faced with grief.51000:24:12,839 –> 00:24:15,280It’s easy to think and feel51100:24:15,280 –> 00:24:17,319that nobody knows what it’s like.51200:24:17,319 –> 00:24:18,359And nobody’s been there,51300:24:18,359 –> 00:24:21,260nobody’s actually experienced what I’m experiencing.51400:24:21,260 –> 00:24:24,119But to know that grieving people share51500:24:24,119 –> 00:24:26,319a number of common feelings,51600:24:26,500 –> 00:24:28,680stages, et cetera,51700:24:28,680 –> 00:24:31,119is very comforting and very important.51800:24:31,119 –> 00:24:34,079You realize much more clearly that you’re not alone.51900:24:34,079 –> 00:24:35,560You’re not alone because God was with you.52000:24:35,560 –> 00:24:36,719But I mean, that’s what I think52100:24:36,719 –> 00:24:38,359was what comes out of that book.52200:24:38,359 –> 00:24:41,040So Pastor Colin’s book For All Who Grieve52300:24:41,040 –> 00:24:43,300is our gift to you if you’re able to set up52400:24:43,300 –> 00:24:46,479a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible52500:24:46,479 –> 00:24:49,719in the amount of five pounds per month or more this month,52600:24:49,719 –> 00:24:52,760or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more.52700:24:52,800 –> 00:24:57,160We’ll also send five cards based on Psalm 23,52800:24:57,160 –> 00:24:58,520which will be a wonderful gift52900:24:58,520 –> 00:25:01,400for anyone who is experiencing bereavement.53000:25:01,400 –> 00:25:03,680Full terms and conditions on our website53100:25:03,680 –> 00:25:08,680and you can give online at openthebible.org.uk.53200:25:08,760 –> 00:25:11,319For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,53300:25:11,319 –> 00:25:15,079I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time.53400:25:15,079 –> 00:25:20,079The Bible tells us that God has placed53500:25:20,400 –> 00:25:22,739the wicked on slippery ground.53600:25:22,739 –> 00:25:25,380Really? How does he do that?53700:25:25,380 –> 00:25:27,599Find out next time on Open the Bible.