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[Music] ♪ It's my desire to see life, my Lord. ♪ Let us all say Amen. Amen. Hear this word which is recorded in the book of Deuteronomy 29th chapter and the first nine verses reading from the Jerusalem Bible. Moses

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called a whole of Israel together and said to them, "You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh to his servants and to the whole land. The great ordeals your own eyes witnessed. The signs and those great wonders. But until today the Lord has given you no heart to understand, no

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eyes to see, no ears to hear. For 40 years I led you in the wilderness. The clothes on your back did not wear out and your sandals did not wear off your feet. You had no bread to eat, you drank no wine, no strong drink. Learning thus said I, the Lord am your God when you reach this place Sihon king of Heshmon and Og king

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of Bishan came out against us to do battle but we defeated them we conquered their land and gave it as an inheritance to Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh. Keep the words of this covenant and observe them and you will thrive in all you do. The subject of the message, farewell, farewell, but this I tell.

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There comes a time to say goodbye, the time when our stay has run out and we must part. Some people do not like goodbyes. They say that they are always sad occasions. That does not necessarily have to be the case. The kind of goodbye that we give is determined by the kind of trip we have experienced. Our nation

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has just witnessed the close of another session of Congress what we call the lame-duck session, a session which involves legislators who had to say goodbye to their congressional career because they were not re-elected. For some this was an unexpected and disappointing experience and for some it

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was a goodbye which was mingled with some sadness but a great deal of joy because it was an anticipated experience. Moses is giving his farewell address in this particular event in the history of Israel. He has seen the frost of many winters. He has reached the ripe old age

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of 120 years. He has been instrumental in leading Israel on the journey from Egypt to the borders of Canaan and now he rehearses the experiences of the people and give them a word to guide them in the future. It has been an eventful journey. Now the venerable prophet must say goodbye. Farewell,

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farewell, but this I tell." Moses, as I said, rehearses the experiences of the trip. We do well today, situated as we are thousands of years from that particular event, we do well to rehearse in our minds the experiences that have been shared during this year. For we have been engaged in an eventful journey in

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in 1982 from January to December. Now we are on the borders of Canaan, the threshold of the new year. It's a good time to look back,

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to remember what has happened and how we have arised at where we are. Signs and wonders have been performed. God has manifested his mighty acts in our history.

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We do well to remember what has happened during the past 12 months because they indicate that We have had one with us

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Who has Strengthened us all along the way During this particular period of the year the media often Select what is called the

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best events in 1982 It's not only good for us to consider what the best happenings are but We cannot

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Have a complete account of history without also thinking of the worst For life is not one or the other, but both a mixture of sunshine and shatters, prosperity and adversity, success and defeat,

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sadness and gladness. Moses bid farewell to Israel by calling to their remembrance what the Lord did for them while they were in Egypt, while they were in bondage. What God did for Pharaoh and his servants in the process of liberating

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the children of Israel. In the journey through the year there have been times when we faced oppressive conditions. There have been times when we were in bondage in one way or the other, captives of hostile forces, times when we were caught up in the clutches of Pharaoh and

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his servants. We did not have the resources to match Pharaoh and his service. And all we could do was to cry unto the Lord. And the wonderful thing is that heaven hears our cries. For God is concerned about the oppressed and the defenseless. God is concerned and acts to redeem the oppressed. That's the

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testimony of history. Signs and wonders performed in Egypt. Don't forget that. We have not come thus far on our way because of our wisdom and our strength. There is mystery hidden in our history. That mystery is not mere chance and circumstance. The mystery is not Lady Luck. The mystery in our history is the

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divine helper, the eternal companion who has journeyed with us all along the way. He has performed signs and wonders. He has given us signs and performed wonders. And our presence here today is due to the fact that we have had a miracle worker on our side. Pharaoh and his servants had other plans for us. We've

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had to deal with Pharaoh. 1982 Pharaoh and his servants had other plans for us but they were not only baffled they were outwitted and out fought. Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in the sea. The forces that endeavor to destroy us have been defeated. We've had severe trials along the way. We think of the pilgrimage of

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the children of Israel in the wilderness lasting for 40 years. But those 40 years did not all come at once. Years don't come like that. They come day by day, month by month, one year at a time. So we have seen severe trials, trials on the international seen, trials within our nation, trials within our families, in our own personal experience.

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Some of us have been tested severely by sickness, by some human frailty, some weakness of the flesh. We have been tempted. There have been trials of the Spirit. You see Satan is present in the wilderness. There is the wilderness of temptation where Satan meets us and we are tested. We're tested by being in a desert place without bread

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and without water. We are tested by the fiery serpents of doubt. We are tested by the fiery serpent of indifference. We are tested by the fiery serpent of apathy. We're tested. Our faith, you see, is tested. We need to consider the outcome according to the objective as well as the subjective. The objective, you see, is

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God's action for us in the course of the journey. What he has done, oh Moses delineates God's work. Moses says he has put clothes on your back that did not wear out. That's true for us. He has put clothes on our back that did not wear out in the course of the journey. You see we can only make it from year to year by

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having clothes that God provides, clothes that do not wear out. There is no haberdasher shop in the wilderness, no exclusive fashion shop there. The clothes that we must wear are clothes that God must provide. And the only way Israel makes the journey is by the fact that God provides the clothes. And the clothes

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he provides do not wear out in the course of the journey. Or in the wilderness experience. The Lord provides a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness in the wilderness. In the wilderness the Lord provides the royal robe of righteousness, a garment that does not wear out come what may. Royal

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robe of righteousness does not become threadbare in the course of the journey. And so here Moses is saying farewell to the past, but farewell, farewell but this I tell you have not made it by yourself in this wilderness you have had one to provide for you clothes that did not wear out. And then he says he has put

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sandals, shoes on your feet that did not wear out. But whenever one has feet shod with the gospel of peace, come what may, there are sandals that do not wear out and only God can provide the kind of clothes and shoes that do not wear out. For it's a dangerous thing to be in the desert barefoot, traveling in the burning

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sands and the hard rocks, the rough way. You need the Lord to provide not only only clothes but shoes that do not wear out. I think I think our forefathers glimpsed something of this reality, the reality of the presence of God in the wilderness experience when they sang, "I got a robe, you got a robe, all God's children got a

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robe." And they went on to say, "I got shoes, you got shoes, all God's children got shoes. He has provided for us clothes and shoes that do not wear out. For Moses says we have been led and fed as he gives this farewell address saying to the people we've been led and fed by God. We've had some battles to fight along the way. Sihon, the king of the Amorites, refused to let Israel pass

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through his land. There was Og, the king of Bishan, who was also against Israel. He too refused. They had a battle to fight, battle after battle to fight along the way and we've had our battles to fight. Every one of us in some way has to fight a battle as we travel on the wilderness

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way and as we look back across the days and the months we too have had some battles to fight. We have not fought them alone. We have had one with us who has All of the power that is necessary he has the weapons that are superior to the weapons of the world Hostile forces have said no

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You can't pass this way you can't make it No, they've put no trespassing signs In our path, but we have journeyed on Then there was there there is not only

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Sihon but all can you see odd is a giant the battle That they had to fight with odd was not just an ordinary battle all to the giant in fact He was a man of such huge statue the Bible goes on and gives the length of his bed as being some nine cubits

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He was a giant we've had our giants We have had to face what would appear to be seemingly impossible circumstances. We have had our giants to fight, but we have conquered not ourselves, but because the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.

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But there is a strange statement that Moses makes. Did you read this passage? He says to the children of Israel, "You have witnessed these things, but you have not seen." You've got all of these things to happen to you. you, you, you have been led from Egypt where the Lord gave signs and performed

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wonders and Pharaoh and his servants. You've been in the wilderness for 40 years, you've had clothes that did not wear out and shoes that did not wear out, you, you've had bread to strengthen you for the journey. The Lord has provided all of these things but you have witnessed these things but you have not seen. That's a rather disturbing statement. It's a rather serious

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indictment. See the Lord has done all these things and he hasn't done these things just for the people in the church. He hasn't done these things just for people who confess him as Lord of Lords and King of Kings, he's done them for everybody. He's been good to everybody. And the fact that God has done it,

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Moses said to the people, he said, "Yes, you witness these things, but you have not really seen." And so many people witness the goodness of God, but they really don't see God's presence in the acts that he's performing. They think these things just happen. It is just like a hog eating acorns that fall from the tree that just like it just has happened.

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Some people think they just, they did this because, or these things have happened to them because they have done this and they have done that and that's why I've gotten where I am, just because of me. No, no. It's Moses that's saying you have witnessed these things, but you have not really seen.

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And he puts it a little differently. He says that God has not given you the spirit Because you really can't appreciate the goodness of God unless you have the Spirit of God And unless one is somehow imbued with the Spirit of God That person will not be found saying thank you Lord

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Unless one is somehow possessed with the Spirit of God, that person will not be inclined to look back and say, "Lord, you brought me a long way from January to December in the year of 1982 and for all the other years before that. I can see, I can see that there was a mysterious hand that was with me, guiding me. And even when I fell, that hand lifted me up.

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When I was weak, you gave me an arm on which to lean. We have witnessed these things, but have we really seen the presence of God? And that comes, you see, from the testimony of faith. For we may be witnesses and still have eyes that see not.

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We may be witnesses and still have ears that hear not. Oh, but if it had not been that the Lord was on our side, we could not have made the journey. Whether we be saint or sinner, within the church or outside, God has been for us. God has brought us in so, farewell we can say on this, the last Sunday, farewell to

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all that has happened back there, it's all over. The Lord has been with me. And I want to say thank you, Lord, as I say farewell, and I witness all of the experiences across these days, the ups and the downs, the good things that have happened as well as the bad things. but I want to thank you Lord that you did not abandon me in the struggle. Can we say that? Oh I didn't always be toward you the way I ought to have been but Lord you were always there and I want to say thank you for your loving kindness and tender mercy. Farewell to 1982.

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"Farewell, farewell, but this I tell." I must tell it in the presence of the congregation. I must tell it in the way I talk! I must tell it in the way I walk! I must tell it to those with whom I am in contact. Moses says now, "You keep the covenant. Keep it."

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Let this be a lesson to you. Farewell, farewell, but this I tell." These words are lifted out of that poem, the rhyme of the ancient mariner

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who was on a ship at sea, and there was this bird that came, who was friendly, and good things happened to them because of the kindness

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that was shown toward the bird by the seaman. But this man killed the bird. It was put as an albatross around his neck. And then a series of unfortunate events, bad events, began to happen. And in the end he'd learned a lesson. He tried to pray after this, didn't seem to get his prayer

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through, things didn't seem to work. But he learned a lesson. He says, "Fal, as he tells this story to the waiting guests, the one on the way to the wedding. He says, "Farewell, farewell, but this I tell to thee, thy waiting guest, he prayeth best who loveth best, both man and bird and beast. He prayeth best who loveth

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best all things both great and small for the dear God who loveth us he made and loveth all." That's good news. That's not only good news that we experienced in 1982 but it's good news for every year that God gives us. So Moses said keep his covenant obey it walk with him keep his covenant because you see the journey is

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not over you're here at the borders of Canaan it's not over so keep his covenant keep your hand in God's hand and walk with him keep his covenant be faithful to him. God is faithful to us. The journey is not over. We've participated in the struggle. We might put it in the language of Robert Frost, "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have

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promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep." Some of us have many more miles to travel. Some of us don't know exactly how many more, but whatever may be the distance that we have yet to travel, the word is, "Keep his covenant." Be faithful to God.

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God is eternal. He never abandons his people in the struggle. As we come now to the hymn of invitation. As we say farewell, can you say, "Well Lord, I want to say farewell to this year, but this

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I want to tell in the presence of the people. I want to make a covenant with you. I want to get in relationship with your family. Maybe you are from outside this city and you have moved here, but whatever may be your

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condition or circumstance, if you're not in right relationship to Christ and His Church, if you want to make a decision for Christ and unite with His family here, we invite you to come. No other church is open. [music] [music]

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We are often told to drive on the restless sea of time. Clouds of skies and holly shivers, coasts of sea of bright sunshine. In that land of perfect day,

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where love is not thrown away, we will launch a journey better, Why is that? Why is that?

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[inaudible] All this pain, all the broken hope, he will never forgive. How will all the country, all the others stand in group?

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♪ Why is that? ♪ ♪ We are often destitute ♪ ♪ Of the things that life demands ♪ ♪ Want of food and want of shelter ♪

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♪ Mercy, heals, and marinade ♪ ♪ We are trusting in the Lord ♪ ♪ And according to his word ♪ ♪ We will understand it better ♪

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♪ By and by ♪ ♪ Oh, by and by ♪ ♪ With the pouring rain ♪ ♪ Oh, let's pray for God's gather home ♪

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♪ He will tell us a story ♪ ♪ God will overcome ♪ ♪ And we'll understand each other ♪ ♪ Why is that? ♪

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♪ Trials don't go every year ♪ ♪ And we cannot understand ♪ ♪ All the ways that God would lead us ♪ ♪ To that blessed promise there ♪

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♪ But He guides us with His eye ♪ ♪ And we'll follow 'til the end ♪ ♪ For we'll understand each other ♪ ♪ Why is that? ♪

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♪ Oh, why is that? ♪ ♪ In the morning ♪ ♪ I'm in the morning ♪ ♪ You're there in the morning ♪

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♪ Out in the ocean ♪ ♪ And we'll understand each other ♪ ♪ Why my temptation ♪ [Music]

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