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[ Pause ] [MUSIC - "AND WHEN BEFORE THE THRONE"] (SINGING) And when before the throne I stand in him ♪ Complete ♪

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♪ Jesus died ♪ ♪ My soul to save ♪ ♪ My lips ♪ ♪ Shall still repeat ♪

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♪ Jesus paid the loan ♪ ♪ All to Him I owe ♪ ♪ Send your love, O Prince of Spain ♪ ♪ Be watch it, but first know ♪

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♪ Jesus, be with us ♪ ♪ All to him I owe ♪ ♪ Sin and love from prison's gate ♪ ♪ He washed it but the snow ♪

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♪ Jesus paid it all ♪ ♪ Oh, to hear her ♪ ♪ Oh, I love the scene ♪ ♪ And left the graves unscathed ♪

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♪ He washed ♪ ♪ It cried the snow ♪ ♪ And snow ♪ - Amen. - Amen.

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- Amen. We are continuing our sermon series based on the book of Psalms. We invite your attention to Psalm 71,

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verse four and 20. "Deliver me, O God, out of the hand of the wicked, "out of the hand of unrighteous and cruel man. "Thou hast showed me great and sore troubles.

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"Thou shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. The subject of the message, "When Deliverance Seems Impossible." When Deliverance Seems Impossible.

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In the final scene of the opera Aita, the two lovers, Adamus, the war hero, and Aita, the Ethiopian princess, are buried alive. They sing, however, a song of hope, of rising again,

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of experiencing deliverance. There is an expectation of deliverance in what appears as an impossible circumstance. Somehow we constantly seek deliverance

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from life-threatening conditions and circumstances. We often find ourselves on the horns of a dilemma, For life has many dilemmas. We seem to be caught from time to time

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between the devil and the deep blue sea. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't. But the stressful conditions and circumstances are unavoidable.

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There are experiences in human existence from which we need deliverance. Deliverance from the horrible pit, deliverance from the dungeon of despair, Deliverance from the lion's den, deliverance from the fiery furnace, deliverance from the clutches of evil. We need deliverance from seemingly impossible circumstances. In Psalm

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Psalm 71 is a cry for deliverance, deliverance from a horrible situation. Deliverance is necessary because we are victims of the struggle between the demonic and the divine, between the devil and God, the struggle between evil and good, the ugly and the beautiful, between truth and falsehood.

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There's no question about it. Human existence as we know it has its tensions, conflicts, and contradictions. When we would do good, evil is always present. And while Paul said we wrestle not against flesh and blood, there is a sense in which

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we do wrestle against flesh and blood, and we also wrestle against principalities and powers. We're up against contradictions in every phase of life. That's the sign of the cross.

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The contradictions we confront, the human against the divine. To embrace the cross is to embrace the contradictions of human existence. Those things that we would like to get rid of and can't, to be able to embrace them and to use them to enrich and to striffen our lives.

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The sufferings described by the Psalmist are very great. There's no escape from them. Oh, he may choose to grin and bear it or he may frown and bear it, but bear it he must.

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His suffering is accompanied by the distressful feeling that it is unmerited. When we look at the cross, we look at unmerited suffering. And so much of the suffering that we experience in this life is unmerited. comes no matter how good we live, no matter how noble our thoughts or our

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intentions, our actions, there is unmerited suffering for us all. And so the one here in this particular psalm has done nothing to deserve the awful suffering inflicted on him. The hatred of his enemies is not only unjust, it is unprovoked. Nevertheless, the life of the psalmist is made bitter by the rancor

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and the hate of his enemies. So he cries, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put to confusion. You see he trusts in the strength of God to deliver him from the clutches of his enemies. "Deliver me in thy righteousness," he says, "and cause me to escape." There are conditions and circumstances we face

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where human deliverance seems impossible. We are surrounded by impregnable walls, we face locked doors, we are buried in tombs, the tomb of ignorance, the tomb of poverty, tomb of suffering, and deliverance seems impossible. There's no place to go. There's no one on whom we can rely, no human resources that we can

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expect to deliver us. There is only that which is beyond us, the power of the eternal that which is above us. And hence we cry like the psalmist, "Deliver me in thy righteousness for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of unrighteous and cruel man." This cry

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may have been made by David in connection with the rebellion of Absalom his son, but there was a time in David's life when his future was threatened, seemed that his rule would be cut off, his forces were threatened by the forces of the enemy, he was caught in a life-and-death struggle. Oh too this

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cry could be identified with the insurrection of Adonijah but at any rate it shows that David had his troubles and just as David, just as people in every age have had their troubles, we have ours. All humanity is buffeted about on a sea of troubles. Listen again to the psalmist's words, "Lord, you have shown me great and

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sore troubles. Another translation of this passage is thou who has shown us sore troubles shall deliver me. The Lord shall raise me up from the depths of the earth. The Lord shall redeem me from extreme misery. He shall rescue me from the deepest depression. You see the psalmist is bearing testimony concerning

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the resurrection. And so I would like for us to consider briefly three dimensions of the resurrection experience which would help us in some way as we seek to relate to this wonderful deed of God. Three dimensions. The first is the cosmic dimension of the resurrection. That has to do with the world, the world of nature we recognize

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all around us in this beautiful season of spring. We see the grass green, the flowers budding, the trees all about us taking on new life, birds are singing, the swallows have returned to Capistrano. Spring is such a wonderful season. And we sort of take on the same appearance of spring with our garb. We come out

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with new clothes. Just as nature puts on new clothes, we celebrate it by putting on new clothes during this season of the year. You see, winter has passed. The Port has said that if winter comes, spring cannot be far behind. Winter with its dull, drab, dead appearance when plants often appear dead and lifeless,

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that somehow this is past and there is the newness of spring. In the resurrection experience God gives new life to the world. God does something special for the world. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. You

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You see the world suffers from death, the world suffers from dull, drab nothingness, the world suffers the pain of alienation from God, the world suffers from being separated from God. This world suffers from death, but you see there is a cosmic dimension of the resurrection.

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through Jesus Christ does something special for the world. For God in Jesus Christ is reconciling the world unto himself, this world that is separated from God, that God through Jesus Christ is bringing the world back to him. That God is working for reunion no matter how far we may drift, no matter how far we

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may go in a far country that God is at work and that there is this new world that we dream about, this new world we pray about, this new world that we work for, that this new world becomes a reality through Jesus Christ. That's the cosmic dimension of the resurrection. If we ever have hoped to have a new world,

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we aren't going to get it with weapons, we're going to get it through a new life, a new attitude through Jesus Christ. That's the experience of the resurrection hope and that's why we pray Lord thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven that somehow in our prayers that we link up with God and saying that the

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kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord in Christ and that the whole world waits. The whole world groaneth and travaileth in pain waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. Oh yeah, oh yeah. There is a cosmic dimension of the resurrection because the new world for which we hope and pray is realized

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through Jesus Christ. It was through him that the first world was created and somehow that world has been marred by sin, but it is also through him that a new world is created, a world without sin and a world that has no end. That's the cosmic dimension of the resurrection. Secondly, let's consider the psychic

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dimension of the resurrection. That has to do with our mind. You see, death Death describes the bondage of the mind, and that's symbolized by being in the deepest depression. Oh, we're all in mental bondage when we cease to think new thoughts.

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We're in mental bondage when we are enslaved by ignorance. We're in mental bondage when we are prisoners of bigotry. We're in mental bondage when we dwell in the dungeon of prejudice,

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when we are captives of malice and jealousy, we are in mental bondage. Our minds get in a rut and that rut is a grave. So there is a psychic dimension

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of the resurrection experience. And that dimension is expressed by Paul as he describes what happens in the resurrection. Resurrection experience just isn't something that happens in nature. Resurrection experience is not just wearing a new garb on Easter day.

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That's not the resurrection experience, but the resurrection experience is expressed in a psychic dimension as something has happened in our mind and our attitude. In other words it has to do with a new mind. And Paul says you just cast off the old grave clothes. The old grave clothes of malice, the old grave clothes of jealousy,

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the old grave clothes of bigotry, cast them aside, leave them in the cemetery and have a liberated mind through Jesus Christ. That's what the resurrection means. To have a free mind, a mind that loves and cares no matter what may happen to you. That's what Paul is talking about when he writes to the

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Philippians where they had a church that was all upset because two women were quarreling and each one was vowing for power in that church. Paul goes on and he says, "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." Oh what a wonderful world we would have if there were more and more people who had the mind of Christ,

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the mind of Christ. And he goes on to describe that mind when he says, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any

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praise think on these things." That's the psychic dimension of the resurrection. Freedom, liberated mind in Jesus Christ, new attitude toward life. And lastly there is the moral dimension of the resurrection. There is the cosmic, the psychic, and the moral. In other words, what are we going to do? Resurrection is

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not only having a liberated mind, but it's a certain kind of action. It's a life that's expressed in actions, the manifestation of good works. You see, first First of all, the resurrection is an event. It's something that really happened.

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It's a historical event. It's something that's concretized in history. It's not some fairy tale. It's something that really happened.

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It happened. It's a matter of history. It has to do with promise and fulfillment. God not only says something to us through Jesus Christ, but God does something for us

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through Jesus Christ. And he comes to us when we are at the end. No source of human help. He comes to us.

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Under impossible circumstances, God comes. He comes to us when we are down and out. Crucified on a cross between two thieves, men walk around and ridicule him, but he comes.

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He is dead. He's buried in a cross, in a tomb, taken down from that cross, buried in a tomb. And they seal the tomb and they say, this is the end.

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Death is the end, this is the end. We don't have to worry about him anymore, but God comes. God comes. When it looks like all hope is lost, God comes.

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Have you ever been in a situation where he's come to you like that? Because he does it, he didn't just do that for Jesus, but he's been doing it all through the years.

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God is coming to help his people. That's the resurrection experience, that God comes. And he raises us up, son of God, though crucified, dead, and buried, God comes.

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God acts, man sins. And he faces impossible circumstances, but God comes. Oh, oh, that's what the Christian faith is all about. If we really understand the biblical faith,

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that's what it's all about. Look at Genesis in the beginning. Man saves, and man is driven outside the garden. Outside the garden, and God puts a flaming sword there

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so that man cannot get back into that garden. It's impossible for man ever to get back. God has put it there himself. But God himself goes outside the garden.

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He goes outside the garden in Jesus Christ and God dies on a hill called Calvary and God himself takes man by the hand and leads him back into the garden. That's good news. God comes to us in impossible circumstances.

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God redeems us through Jesus Christ and he comes just when I need him most. Now given of all hope, God comes. Just when I'm at my lowest point, he comes. Just when my burden is heaviest, God comes.

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Gives us new life, new hope, and a new destiny. I'm just gonna adjust what I need the most. Yes. That's good news.

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Yes. Yes. That's the Easter story. So now we've experienced it in our lives

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and we've experienced it now. Now they're coming with me. So they can say what's the deal, talk to the deal,

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all the passion and grace. [MUSIC] ♪ When I need Him ♪ ♪ Jesus is near ♪

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♪ Just when I'm older ♪ ♪ Just when I'm near ♪ ♪ Ready to help me ♪ ♪ Ready to cheer ♪

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♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ ♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ ♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ ♪ Jesus is near to the world this year ♪

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♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ Just when I need Him, Jesus is true. Give our poor savings all out with you. Give Him companions rich as the dew.

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Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer.

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Just when I need Him most, Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong. Carry the trails of a villain, For over sorrow ♪ We'll be a star ♪

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♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ ♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ ♪ Just when I need Him most ♪ ♪ Jesus is here to comfort and cheer ♪

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Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer.

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Just when I need Him most. Let us pray. Almighty God, our Father, we thank you for the miracle of the resurrection. We have said to your people that you may be seen at work in three dimensions of the resurrection experience, the cosmic, the manifestation of your spirit in the new created order, a new world, that

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you may be seeing in the psychic dimension, the new mind, new attitude, expression of that liberation from the bondage of sin, of guilt, and death. And then it might be seen in the moral dimension that we do new works through Jesus Christ. Help us all to go forth clothed in this newness that we may be workers with you in bringing

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about the new created order. We ask it through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen. [ Music ]

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[ Silence ]