Read Psalm 119:10-16.

Life’s journey is full of pitfalls, ditches we can fall into, things we can stumble over. It’s like walking through a forest full of tree stumps, slippery leaves and hidden snares.

The only way to avoid these and stay pure is to live according to God’s Word (Ps 119:9), something we only achieve as we hide God’s Word in our hearts in order to avoid sin (Ps 119:11). God’s Word acts as a map for our lives, guiding us in right paths (Ps 119:10). It acts as road signs for us, pointing us in the direct direction.

One way of keeping God’s Word in our hearts is to speak it aloud, memorising it, singing it, having it ever present in our minds and thoughts (Ps 119:12-13). This allows us to reflect and consider God’s ways (Ps 119:15). Meditation is an important way of ‘chewing’ on God’s Word, savouring it, allowing its truths to penetrate our consciousness, influence our way of living and direct our actions. This is no chore, but a delight (Ps 119:14, 16), something we relish. Let’s give time and space for God’s Word to impact us during this waiting period.

Mark’s recent sermon on Terah spoke of the need to keep pressing on in God, not being satisfied with stopping at the halfway point but continuing to journey’s end. I recently heard this song (‘I Will Go’) from Kutless, which seems to me to encapsulate the scary challenge we all face when we determine to walk with God. This journey means letting go ‘of the safe and familiar‘, leaving all we’ve known far behind, stepping out into the water and walking into the unknown. It means trusting God to lead us even when we are not sure where we are going, secure only in the fact that He is with us. For most of us, if we are honest, those tentative steps of faith are scary and risky, but the alternative, as Mark reminded us, is to die in Haran and never reach the promised land of Canaan. Our hearts say ‘Wherever You lead, I will go, I will go with You.’

‘Life has a way of changing,
And I can’t deny that it’s time,
To let go of the safe and familiar,
And leave all I’ve known far behind.

So hold me close, don’t let me fall,
It’s a chance to prove, Jesus, I trust in You.

Stepping out into the water,
Walking into the unknown,
I can’t just stay here forever,
Wherever You lead I will go,
I will go with You.

This is a day for new dreams,
A time for my faith to be strong,
My heart’s finding peace in the chaos,
I’m ready at last to move on.

Stepping out into the water,
Walking into the unknown,
I can’t just stay here forever,
Wherever You lead I will go,
I will go with You.

I might stand in a storm,
But I can’t deny, there’s no safer place than by Your side,
Draw me close to You, draw me close to You.

Stepping out into the water,
Walking into the unknown,
I can’t just stay here forever,
Wherever You lead I will go,
I will go with You.’ (‘I Will Go’, Kutless)

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

‘You can’t see a way, then a mountain moves,
Skies are lonely grey, then the sun breaks through,
When your darkest hour surrenders to the dawn.
Nowhere left to turn, but the sea will part,
Running out of hope, still He holds your heart,
And He won’t let go, He’s with you through it all.

His love will overcome, overcome,
His love has already won, already won.

Will you take a stand, and a step of faith,
Will you trust the hands, that calm the waves,
You don’t have to ever be afraid, He is with you through it all.

Deep and wide an endless tide from age to age,
Stronger than whatever we may face.

I know that His love will overcome, His love will overcome,
The ultimate war’s already won,  His love will overcome.
His love will overcome, overcome,
His love has already won, already won.’ (‘Overcome’, Kutless)

Christ’s victory draw forth praise from us:

‘Triumphant conqueror, forever glorious
Our Lord victorious, You are worthy
Our mighty warrior, the banner over us
Our Lord victorious, You are worthy
You are worthy.’ (‘Triumphant Conqueror’, Aaron Shust)

On Sunday we gave the children in church a chocolate advent calendar to help them wait for Christmas, one day (and one chocolate!) at a time. Advent is that period of waiting before Christmas when it’s good to tune our hearts to sing God’s praise and focus our attention on the reason for the season. In order to do this, we’ll be looking at Psalm 119, taking a stanza each day to guide us on our journey to the manger.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible, a psalm praising the law of the Lord. It’s an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It focuses on the goodness of God’s law and the blessings that obedience to this law brings. Today we’re looking at Ps 119:1-8.

‘Blessed’ is the opening word of this long psalm. We’re blessed when our ways are blameless and we walk according to God’s law (Ps 119:1). We’re blessed when we keep God’s statutes and seek Him with all our hearts (Ps 119:2). Discipleship is a journey, likened to walking steadily on the road revealed by God.

The period of Advent is a journey too, a long walk through the waiting till the arrival of Jesus changes our darkness to light. Dietrich Bonhoeffer comments that ‘God knows the whole way, while we know only the next step and the ultimate goal.’ Those of us living ‘A.D.’ live between that first arrival as a helpless baby in Bethlehem and Christ’s triumphant arrival at the end of time. We still have to walk the steps in between, a journey which involves walking in God’s ways (Ps 119:3) and living by God’s precepts which are to be fully obeyed (Ps 119:4).

Motives and deeds both count on this journey (Ps 119:2). Steadfastness of purpose and step are required (Ps 119:5-6). It’s a long haul, a marathon, a journey that will last a lifetime. As we journey towards Christmas in these Advent musings, let’s use Psalm 119 to guide us to our goal. ‘I’m going to do what You tell me to do’ (Ps 119:8, The Message) is the dictum by which we live. Jn 2:5 reiterates the simple road to blessing; we’re simply called to do whatever Jesus tells us. Jesus said ‘If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.’ (John 15:10) The only way to journey to God is to walk with Him; the only way to walk is the way of obedient love.

Stephen started tonight’s sermon with a history question, asking who knew the significance of the date 2 June 1953. This was the date of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation:

Tonight’s sermon was about crowns. When we think about crowns, we might think of Christmas cracker crowns:

or royal crowns…

… or even the crown of thorns mentioned in Matt 27:29:

Stephen spoke about the crown of glory mentioned in 1 Pet 5:4 (‘And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.‘) In ancient times, the winner of races was given a laurel crown, but this would obviously fade with time. On the other hand, the crown Jesus Himself will give us will never fade away. We may not be certain when the Chief Shepherd will appear, but the fact of His appearing is not in doubt for His people.

The people who come to faith through our testimony act as our hope, joy and crown (1 Thess 2:19), but James 1:12 reminds us that perseverance is required before we receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Monarchs reign for a limited period only, but the crown God will give us is eternal (see 1 Cor 9:24-27). Each of us is required to keep going in this race; what is required is our willing participation. God promises a crown not only to one person (as was customary for the winner of a race) but to all who love Him. May we run well in anticipation of the crowns we will receive and then lay before the throne of God who alone is worthy to receive glory and honour and power (see Rev 4:10-11).

Dave spoke this morning from 1 Pet 1:6-9, continuing his series on the fruit of the Spirit by looking at the fruit of joy. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift from God which cannot be earned, simply received, and its purpose is to give us the power to witness to all that Jesus has done and to live the life Christ wants us to live. Joy is defined in the dictionary as ‘a feeling of great pleasure or happiness‘, but the New Testament description of joy (and the word features 63 times in the NIV, so it’s not a rare subject!) has far less to do with happy circumstances than this definition might imply; the epistle to the Philippians, for example (‘the epistle of joy‘), was written while Paul was in prison! Js 1:2 and 1 Pet 1:6-9 talk of joy even in trials; joy is ‘the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life’.

The assurance God gives us is the basis for our joy; 2 Tim 1:12 reminds us that we know whom we have believed and are fully persuaded that He has power to keep us and save us. Joy and gladness come because we are sure of God’s favour (Acts 2:46-47 shows that all God’s people worshipped with glad and sincere hearts; this is not something reserved for an elite few.)

The joy God gives is indescribable; our joy comes as the Holy Spirit comes in power, showing us that the chief characteristic of all true revivals is joy. This joy is typically manifested in exuberant singing (think of the hymns written by Charles Wesley during the Methodist Revival, hymns such as ‘O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing’ or more modern hymns such as ‘Joy of the Lord‘ which express rejoicing in God’s abundant goodness to us.) Singing is a powerful attempt to express this inexpressible, indescribably joy; it’s the overflow of a grateful, thankful heart.

Christianity is not about grim-faced, miserable people who are forced to attend church services; it is about people who rejoice in meeting together and whose joy is infectious. Assurance is a great gift of God (Joan of Arc sang while being burnt to death and the testimony of many other martyrs is that whilst the body can be killed, the joy of the Lord cannot be taken away.) God’s joy helps us through every difficulty and every trial and is available to us all through the power of the Holy Spirit.