Yeah. You you Well, good morning. Good to see everybody here today on this Lord's Day. It's a great day to worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The Apostle Peter writes, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what we want to do today is to bless the one true God of heaven. Just a few announcements to call your attention to on the inside left of your bulletin. Just a reminder that fellowship time happens prior to Sunday school at 9.15. Then we have Sunday school for all ages at 9.30. And don't forget tonight at 5 p.m. we'll have our service of prayer as we gather together to pray for our nation, our church, and any other needs that you might have. So come back tonight at 5. Our Wednesday night study continues at 6.30 p.m. as we try to finish up our study of the parables of Jesus at the Rogers home. Just a reminder to put August 8th, 5 p.m. on your calendar as we have our annual church picnic. That'll be at Stephen F. Austin Park, August 8th, 5 p.m. So just be aware of that. Elder Deacon training goes on and continues. Please encourage and pray for those men. You can follow our church on various social media platforms if you haven't done so already. And a couple announcements that didn't make the bulletin. One is we support a guy named Luke Abraham, who's a missionary with Cru in North Africa. Can't give the specifics, but he's in North Africa ministering. He's coming to Redeemer on July 25th, and during the evening service, he will give us an update of what the Lord is doing through Cru in his ministry in North Africa. So please be aware of that if you'd like to come and hear him speak and present to us. And then Jack, I'm gonna ask that you give, announcement about the Parsons. I think most of you received the email we sent out this week on Amy Parsons. She's the wife of Michael Parsons, who's a missionary with Christ for the City in San Jose, Costa Rica. I've been there for about a year, I think. And we support that ministry through our church. She had a miscarriage this past week. She lost a lot of blood, but I think the baby was like three months along. Anyway, she lost the baby and they run up some medical bills. Missionaries don't make a lot of money. So we've opened this up for people want to give to support that. I think their medical bills, I think around $4,400. It's not covered by insurance. So if anybody wants to help, you're welcome to contribute to the deacons fund. And we'll get that to him as quick as we can. So you can drop it in a in the basket or mail it to the church if you want. Thank you. Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, this morning our Lord calls us to worship in his word from Isaiah chapter 58. Let us hear now the word of our Lord. The prophet Isaiah says that we are to call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable. If you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth. Well, please take these next few moments as you prepare your hearts and your minds for the worship of our Lord. Well, let me invite you to stand if you're able as we sing our opening hymn. We'll sing hymn 44, How Great Thou Art. Let's stand and sing hymn 44 together. Let us pray. Almighty and most merciful Father, long ago, at many times, and in many ways, you spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, you have spoken to us by your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the heir of all things. Christ is the creator of the world. Christ is the radiance of the glory of God and is the exact imprint of your nature. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. And after he made purification for our sins, he sat down at your right hand. Oh Father, we come to worship you through Christ and by the Holy Spirit this morning. Bow your heavens, oh Lord, and come down. Inhabit the praises of your people. Lord, look upon us this morning in your tender mercies. Help us to draw near to you, not only with our lips, but with our lives. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to you. Receive our worship, Father. For this we ask in Christ's name and by your Holy Spirit. Amen. You may be seated. Brothers and sisters, Scripture tells us to acknowledge our manifold sins, not hiding them from the face of Almighty God, but rather confessing them with a humble, lowly, and obedient heart. Let us take just a few moments now to silently confess our sins unto the Lord. Well, church, let us hear now the assurance of pardon from God's word in John 3.16. John writes that, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. It's great to know that if you're in Christ, God not only forgives you of your sin, but that he assures you of your pardon. Well, church, let us now confess together the summary of God's law from Matthew chapter 22, saying, what is the first and greatest commandment? Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Amen. Good morning. Our reading this morning is from 1 Corinthians 11, 17 through 34. Forgot that. And it's on page 958 of your Pew Bibles. And we're going to celebrate the Lord's Supper later in this service today. And so let us hear and discern the Apostle Paul's instructions on the importance of communion and how to address abuses and corruption that can enter into it. 1 Corinthians 11, 17 through 34. But in the following instructions, I do not commend you, because when you come together, it is not for the better, but for the worse. For in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I believe it in part. For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What, do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, also, he took up the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home so that when you come together, it will not be for judgment. About the other things, I will give directions when I come. Grab your Trinity Psalter and turn to Psalm 42. We'll sing this morning Psalm 42, verses one through five. In just a few moments, I'll preach Psalm 42. So I thought it would be helpful if we sang Psalm 42. Psalm 42, I think, is really a psalm about how to find strength in the Lord when you are discouraged. You can remain seated as we sing this psalm. Amen. Well, church, let me invite you to stand now, if you're able, as we approach God's mighty throne of grace this morning in prayer. Almighty and everlasting Father, You spoke through Moses in the fifth commandment, saying, Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Father, you say in Leviticus chapter three that children are to revere their mother and father, for I am the Lord your God. Jesus tells us in Mark 10, honor your father and your mother. Paul writes in Ephesians 6, children, honor your father and mother. Our shorter catechism reminds us, Lord, that you give long life and prosperity to those who keep the fifth commandment. And Father, as we pray through the 10 commandments, we ask that our covenant children here at Redeemer will honor their fathers and their mothers. We ask that you would work in the hearts and the minds of our youth and children so that they might submit to their parents in the Lord. Remind our fathers and our husbands to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and empower our wives and our mothers to love and to care for their children. Lord, may we all keep your commands and may we all do what your word says And may your commandments remind us of our ongoing need for the Lord Jesus, who perfectly obeyed all your precepts, all your laws, all your commands. Merciful Father, we humbly ask that you would hear now our petitions and that you might respond according to your will. Lord of all lords, we pray for our civil authorities. We ask that you would lead them guide them and encourage them, those at the local, state, and national levels. Gracious God, we pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ would spread here in the Panhandle of Texas. May your Holy Spirit soften the hearts of sinners. Enable those who walk in darkness to come to the light of Christ. Father, draw to yourself a multitude that no one can number, from every tongue, tribe, nation and people. Build your church, O Lord, for your namesake. Heavenly Father, we pray as we do every week for the sanctification of each and every saint here at Redeemer. Lord, cause us to make progress in the Christian life. Enable us, Father, to flee sin and to pursue righteousness. Lord, as we take the Lord's Supper today, may you use this sign and seal of the covenant to remind us of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Use the supper to build our assurance of salvation and help us as we mature as disciples of Christ. Oh, Lord, we thank you for Christ. He who knew no sin became sin for us. Lord, you are in Christ, reconciling the world to yourself, not counting men's trespasses against them. Father, you have so loved the world, that you've given us your one and only son. And you have shown your love for us and that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. These things we pray in his name and by the power of your Holy Spirit, amen and amen. You may be seated. We'll grab your Bibles, if you will, and turn to the 42nd Psalm. Our passage this morning is Psalm 42. A couple weeks back, we started a new sermon series entitled Foundations of the Christian Life. In this series, we just want to look at basic, practical, foundational truths in the Christian life. A few weeks back, we looked at Psalm 90, how to keep an eternal perspective on life. Last week, we looked at Psalm 121, which helps us find strength in the Lord during our Christian walk. I want to look this morning at Psalm 42. Let me remind you, church, that when the Bible speaks, God speaks. So may we approach the reading of his word with reverence and awe. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, where is your God? These things I remember as I pour out my soul, how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, For I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me. Therefore, I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day, the Lord commands His steadfast love. And at night, His song is with me. a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock, why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taught me, while they say to me all the day long, where is your God? Why are you cast down, oh my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Well, church, this is the word of our Lord. Thanks be to God. Let us ask now for our Lord's help as we come to this passage. A gracious God, 1 Thessalonians chapter two says that we are to accept scripture, not as the word of men, but as it really is. the Word of God, which is at work in you believers. Lord, help us to understand Psalm 42 this morning. Grant unto us eyes to see and ears to hear as we ask in Christ's name and by your Holy Spirit. Amen. A study that I recently read said that about 20 million Americans report a major depression in a given year. Depression is now the leading cause of disability in the United States. And I read this past week that depression costs the medical community around $55 billion a year. And we know that Christians aren't exempt from depression. We know that God's people struggle with this debilitating problem. In fact, I think the apostle Paul wrestled with depression. Over in 2 Corinthians 7, 6, he says that he's downcast. Job was beleaguered with the blues. And of course, the author of Psalm 42 struggled with depression as well. In fact, notice down in verse 6, he says very powerfully, my soul is cast down within me. I mean, this guy is really down in the dumps, isn't he? As a pastor, I know that any time you get a group of Christians together, somebody in the group is going through some episode of depression. So we know that the Lord's people battle with discouragement, downcastness, and despondency. In other words, believers aren't exempt from the blues. Now the title of our message this morning is How to Beat the Blues. How to Beat the Blues. I think Psalm 42 can help us beat the blues. And as followers of the Lord Jesus, we need to know how to deal with despondency. This Psalm helps us to look up when we're down. It offers an upward look for a downcast soul. And really, I think God's word today provides a powerful balm to overcoming the blues. I wanna walk you through two very simple points this morning as we unpack Psalm 42. These are both on your outline. First, we want to look at some causes of the blues. If we're going to beat the blues, we need to know first what causes the blues. And then second, I want us to look at some cures for the blues. God's word is so good to us that it gives us some cures or some remedies for the blues. So causes and cures. Let me call your attention first to some causes of the blues in verses 1 through 4, and then 6 through 10. But before we get too far along, let me just briefly set this psalm's historical context. What's the title mean? Notice the title reads, To the Choir Master, A Mascal of the Sons of Korah. The phrase, To the Choir Master, indicates that this psalm, like the rest of the Psalter, is meant to be sung. and probably various choirs in Israel's history sang this psalm. What's a maskel? Rhymes with rascal, by the way. What's a maskel? Well, maskel is a Hebrew word that means instruction or counsel. So really, this psalm provides instruction or counsel for trusting God when you're down in the dumps. And who are the sons of Korah? Well, the Korites were Levites, and they were basically Israel's choir. So they would probably lead the nation in song and worship and in music. And then what sort of psalm is the 42nd Psalm? How might we categorize it? Well, I would say it's a lament psalm. And really, it's a psalm for pouring out your heart to the Lord when you're depressed, despondent, or downcast. Really, it's a psalm for how to beat the blues. And again, if we're gonna beat the blues, we need to first understand what causes the blues. Now, if you look at verses one and two, I think one cause of depression is spiritual drought, or spiritual dryness, if you will. Try to appreciate this imagery in verses one and two. I know you've read these verses many times in your life, but listen to what he says. He says, as a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God. for the living God. That's the language of spiritual drought, isn't it? He says, just like a deer who's been running from a predator and who needs water, he says, so my soul needs water. So apparently the psalmist, we don't know who he is, but he's going through a season of spiritual dehydration. I think the same thing can be true in our lives. Sometimes we go through seasons of spiritual dryness and that can cause you The blues, can't it? Have you ever worked up in an attic on a hot summer day in West Texas? It can be 130, 140 degrees up there, can't it? And the first thing you wanna do when you get down from that attic is to quench your thirst. And you know that only water will do the trick. No other drink is gonna do that. Only ice cold water will satisfy that inner longing. Now, sadly, a lot of people in the culture, and I think even some people in the church today, they'll look to anything and everything but to the Lord to satisfy their spiritual dryness. They'll look to possessions or prosperity, but not to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. But listen, as the church, as the people of God, we have to know that only the living God of heaven can satisfy our spiritual drought. and dehydration. Isn't that what the Lord Jesus said of himself over in John 4, 13 and 14? Write this passage down, you need this passage. Jesus said, whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. So that's one cause of depression that I see is is spiritual dehydration. Now in the second part of verse two, another cause of the blues is what? I think it's absence from public worship. Absence from gathered corporate worship can contribute to the blues. Look at the second part of verse two. He simply says, when shall I come and appear before God? And most commentators think that this comment means that the psalmist is absent from worship in Jerusalem. He feels lonely and blue because he's not around God's people for worship in the temple. In fact, notice down in verse four, verse four, he says he longs to go to the house of God. I think that's the temple. And then down in verse six, he says he's isolated somewhere in the mountains. I'll talk about that comment in a little bit. But how does this apply to us today? What's the relevance for us? Well, listen, God promises to be with his people when we gather in his house on the Lord's day for corporate worship, doesn't he? We really do experience God's presence. It's his unique presence when we gather together to hear the word of God read and preached, when we sing the Psalter, when we sing the hymns, when we pray together, take the sacraments, and when we just fellowship. I think when we miss church on Sunday, that can make you blue. In fact, when I'm down, I often feel that going to church picks me up. I know there's a lot of you guys, you come in here on Sunday and you're discouraged, but you leave feeling encouraged because you've been standing on holy ground for the past hour or so. So absence from corporate worship can cause the blues. Now, if you look at verse three, and then verses nine and 10, I've kind of lumped those two together, we see that verbal ridicule, or just difficult people can make you blue. That's the third cause that I see. Verse three, he says, my tears have been my food day and night, while they, difficult people, say to me all the day long, where is your God? Man, that comment, My tears have been my food, day and night. That's a weighty comment, isn't it? All this man can do is cry and weep and moan. Now we don't know precisely who these people are or why they're ridiculing the psalmist, but apparently they're taunting him and they're saying, where's your God? And then notice down in verse nine and 10, he makes another comment about difficult people. Why do I go mourning? Because of the oppression of the enemy. as with the deadly wound in my bones. And this guy's down, isn't he? He's hurting. He says, my adversary's tauntin' me. And they say to me all the day long, where's your God? Sometimes we encounter difficult people like that in life, don't we? And maybe we come across these types of people in our jobs or in our families who are just downright difficult, and that can cause us the blues. As I was thinking about verses three and verses nine and 10, Remember the life and the ministry of the Lord Jesus and the hardship and the ridicule that he endured. He was mocked, he was ridiculed, he was beaten, despised, crucified, and killed. But of course he persevered. Now verses four and six seems that past memories are causing this man some blues. If you look at verse four and verse six, he's taking a trip down memory lane. Verse four, note the text. These things I remember. So that comment tells us he's looking back at the past. These things I remember as I pour out my soul, how I'd go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. What's the festival there? The festival is probably an allusion to Israel's three annual feasts in Jerusalem. Remember, we talked about this a little bit last week. They would journey to the holy city basically three times a year to celebrate the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. So this guy's looking back on the good old days when he'd go with all of his people to worship in Jerusalem. In fact, verse four says that he actually led this procession to the temple as they went to of the house of God. So he might have been a priest himself. Verse six says basically the same thing. My soul is cast down within me. Again, try to appreciate how blue this guy is. He says, therefore I remember. He's looking back. Therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon from Mount Nazar. Probably the best way to take that comment is to say that he is presently in the land of Jordan. He's currently writing from Mount Nazar. For reasons unknown, we don't know why he's up there or how he got up there, but he's north and east of Jerusalem. He's in the mountains. That'd be a pretty good place to have a cry, wouldn't it? Go up in the mountains and just sulk a little bit. He's in the mountains, he's in isolation as he writes this psalm, and he's thinking about the good old days. Sometimes past memories can cause us distress in the present in our lives too, can't they? Unhappy memories can give you the blues. Maybe you get blue thinking about the loss of a loved one or how someone hurt you in the past. Maybe you get blue just wishing life would have turned out differently than how you originally planned it. I think even happy memories can cause us some depression. Maybe we just get down thinking about how fast our children grew up, even though those might be good memories. Maybe you get blue thinking about where you once lived or a life you once had. Verse seven tells us that overwhelming trials can make us blue. Just hard times in life. Verse seven is so interesting, isn't it? Because remember, the psalmist started out in verse one with gentle flowing streams. And now those gentle flowing streams, verse seven, have turned to tempest turbulent waters. Verse seven, he says, deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. He says, all your breakers and your waves, Lord, have gone over me. Now, believe it or not, there's actually waterfalls up in Israel near the Jordan River. There's some headwaters that come from Galilee, northern Galilee. But that language, deep calls to deep and breakers and waves, what is his picture? This picture is someone who's going through a hardship in life, and he feels as if he's about to drown spiritually. He's being tossed to and fro by tempest waters. Have you ever felt like that? Trials and tribulations can make you blue, can't they? Now in the first part of verse nine, we'll call this 9a, unanswered prayer causes some depression, verse nine. I say to my God, why have you forgotten me? I think he's saying, Lord, I've cried out to you, but I haven't heard back. Where are you, Lord? Now, to be clear, I do think that the Lord answers our prayers in his timing, but the psalmist feels as if God has not gotten back to him. Now, let me list a few other causes of depression that I have seen as a minister. These are not listed in this psalm. These are just things that that I've come across. I'm gonna rattle these off pretty quick. Physical exhaustion can make you blue. Your body can only handle so much stress before I think that puts you in kind of a depressed state. Worry and anxiety can cause depression. Worry and anxiety can make you despondent in life. Sometimes it's our personalities that cause us to be blue. Some people, they just have a happy-go-lucky personality. They're always happy and upbeat, while others I think are given to a more downcast spirit. I think there's probably a genetic or a biological aspect to that. Oftentimes sin can make you blue. Unconfessed sin can drag you down. So if there is any unconfessed sin in your life, you need to confess that and seek the Lord's forgiveness. Spiritual warfare can make you blue. Don't forget that Satan loves to hate you. He loves to drag you down. Certain life circumstances, I think, can cause despondency. Maybe the loss of a loved one, problems at work, financial stress, difficult children. All those sorts of things can cause us to be blue. And I've spent so much time on this first point because the psalmist spends a lot of time on these causes. I think he's telling us if we're going to beat the blues, we need to first understand what causes the blues. In other words, To fix it, you gotta face it. That's what he's doing, he's facing his problems. Now second, if you look at verse five, eight, and 11, I think he gives us some cures for the blues. So causes, and then now in five, eight, and 11, the cure. This is our second point. In verse five, we see what I call the introspective question and the inevitable answer. Notice, listen, notice how he asks an introspective question in the midst of his depression, verse five. It's a reflective question, isn't it? Why are you cast down, oh my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? So he's up in the mountains. He's having a good cry. And he begins to ask questions of his discouragement. Really, he starts to ask some self-examining questions so that he might pinpoint his pain. I think the same thing needs to be true in our lives. If we're gonna beat the blues, we need to learn to ask introspective questions of ourselves. We need to interrogate our souls, just like this man is doing. And we need to say, soul, why are you cast down? Why, soul, are you in turmoil within me? Really, you need to talk to yourself when you're blue. You need to ask questions of yourself. Why are you cast down? Why do you feel this way? So I think that's one important lesson for you to know. When you feel blue, you need to stop, ask questions, get control of the situation so that you can discern your discouragement. Old Martin Lloyd-Jones, I think the greatest preacher of the 20th century, he once wrote a book called Spiritual Depression, Its Causes and Cures. Martin Lloyd-Jones, what makes him so qualified to address the issue of spiritual depression is that not only was he a preacher, but he was a medical doctor. And he wrote a book called Spiritual Depression, Its Causes and Cures. I would recommend that book to everybody. Let me just read a very helpful section from his book about talking to yourself and interrogating yourself when you're blue. Really all he's doing is kind of fleshing out verse five. Listen to what he says. He says, notice the psalmist addresses himself, verse 5. He talks to himself, and herein he discovers the cure. Most unhappiness in life is due to the fact that we listen to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves. The psalmist, in effect, in verse 5 says, self, listen for a moment to what I have to say. Why are you so cast down? He goes on. The main art of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself, how to question yourself, how to preach to yourself. You must remind yourself of who God is and what God has done and what God has promised to do. This is the essence of the treatment in a nutshell. We must understand that this self of ours has got to be handled. Do not listen to him when you're depressed. Rather than listening to him and allowing him to drag you down and to depress you, You need to take control. Really, I think old Martin Lloyd-Jones is just saying this about verse five. He's saying that sometimes you are your own worst enemy in your life. Sometimes when you're depressed, we just listen to these negative thoughts in our head, and we allow ourself to sort of spiral out of control. He's saying when you start to feel this way, stop, ask questions, and get control. So that's the introspective question. What's the inevitable answer? How does the psalmist answer his own question, verse five? Hope in God. Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. So listen, after you have questioned your discouragement, you must do what? You must put your hope in the Lord, so that you can in turn praise Him. You put your hope in God, which will in turn lead to you praising God. This is the cure for beating the blues, is to have a patient hope, which leads to a praising heart. Patient hope, praising heart. I once heard John Piper say this about verse five, and I don't always agree with John Piper on everything, but what he says here is spot on. He said, hope in God, John, Hope in God. You will again praise him. This miserable emotion will pass. This season will pass, John. Don't be downcast. Look to Jesus. That's what verse five, I think, is saying. Now, verse eight gives us the invaluable truth. I've got an eye theme going on. Did you catch that in all the eyes? Invaluable truth, verse eight. He says, by day the Lord commands his steadfast love. and at night his song is with me. A prayer to the God of my life. He's saying that God is with him day and night. Night and day, God's love and God's song is with this man. So we need to know that too. If we're gonna beat the blues, we need to know that God is with us. He's not a God far off. He's a God close at hand. I've told this story before, but it's too good not to tell again. Old John Wesley, was laying on his deathbed. He was surrounded by all his friends. As he prepared to breathe his last, he said this, the best of all is that God is with us. Best of all, gentlemen, God is with us. And we need to know that as Christians. Even if we don't feel it or believe it, we need to know that God is with us in our discouragement. Now the rest of the world, they don't know this invaluable truth. Non-believers, they grieve, they lament, they go through blue times without any sort of hope. But Christians, we know this truth, that God is with us. Night and day, verse eight. That's part of the cure. Verse 11 gives us another introspective question and another inevitable answer. Do you see it? Verse 11 asks the identical question of verse five. Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you in turmoil within me? So it's more self-talk, isn't it? He's questioning himself. He's asking, why are you so blue? Someone I once read this past week said, of course I talk to myself. I need a professional opinion. That's true, you need to talk to yourself. But listen, the psalmist is facing his depression, isn't he? He's looking the blues right in the eyes. He's not gonna let it beat him. Again, to fix it, you gotta face it. You just gotta state the fact that you are depressed, that you're blue, and that will help lead you to the cure. Once again, verse 11, we see the inevitable answer to his own question. What's he say? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation in God. In other words, he talks himself out of the dumps, and he points himself to God. He's not gonna surrender to suffocating moments of defeat. He's gonna preach to himself, isn't he? He's gonna talk to himself. He's gonna have a patient hope and a praising heart. Now, Tabor, is that it? Is that really the solution? Is that really the cure, just to have a patient hope and a praising heart in the Lord? Is it really that easy? I didn't say it was gonna be easy. Nobody says it's going to be easy. God didn't say it's going to be easy, but I think this is the cure that we see here from Psalm 42. And we don't seek man's solution, we seek the words, don't we? We don't seek the world's cure, but the word's cure. You know, it's interesting, you might have known this, but Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 were probably originally one long psalm. They're probably meant to be read together. How does Psalm 43 end? What's that last verse in 43 say? Psalm 43 five, this is going to be our conclusion this morning. Notice verse five, he raises the same introspective question. Why are you cast down on my soul? Why are you in turmoil within me? What's he do? He gives the same inevitable answer that he gave in Psalm 42, didn't he? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him. Same question. Same answer. So listen, church. The cure for spiritual depression is to put your hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, which will in turn lead you to praising him. We can beat the blues by having a patient hope and a praising heart. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you for Christ, who this psalm ultimately appoints us to. Thank you for the hope that we have in Christ. Thank you for his life, death, and resurrection. Lord, I pray that you would apply this psalm to our hearts. I pray that it would appoint us to you, Lord, and give us hope in you. As we pray in Jesus' name, amen. We're gonna celebrate this Lord's Supper here in a few moments, but before we do so, let's stand to sing hymn 650. We'll sing verses one and two of I will sing of my Redeemer, then we'll take the supper and then sing verses three and four. You. Amen. You may be seated. Well, brothers and sisters, it's a great honor and a great privilege to come to the Lord's table this morning. We really do commune with the Lord Jesus Christ in this meal as our hearts are lifted up to heaven by the Holy Spirit. What does God's word say about the Lord's Supper? Let us hear the words of institution from Matthew 26, 26 through 29. You can turn there in your Bibles if you like or just listen. Matthew writes, now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, he broke it, and he gave it to the disciples, and he said, take, eat, this is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." What does the sacrament of the Lord's Supper mean for us? Well, question 96 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which I think I put in your bulletin, asks, what is the Lord's Supper? And I love this answer that it gives. It says, the Lord's Supper is a sacrament wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment. His death is showed forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal or carnal manner, but by faith made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits to their spiritual nourishment and their growth in grace. So let me just kind of unpack that answer. It's a lot to think about there. First, we see that the Lord's Supper is by Christ's appointment. In other words, the Lord Jesus gave us communion, and we really do obey him when we come together and take the supper. A second, we celebrate his death at communion. We need to be thankful that he died on the cross, a cruel death for our sins, and he suffered the punishment that we deserved. Third, the answer tells us that we do feed upon Christ in the supper. Notice it says that we are made partakers of Christ's body and blood. Now we don't feed on Christ like the Roman Catholics believe in the literal sense, but we do feed spiritually upon Christ by faith. Notice it says by faith. And then lastly, the supper helps us in our spiritual nourishment and our growth and grace. God takes this meal and he strengthens us in our faith as we come together and take the supper. Who can come to this table? If you're a baptized believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are a member in good standing at a Bible-believing church, then our session invites you to partake of these elements. If you're not yet a follower of Jesus Christ, we ask that you would allow the elements to pass you by. But if you don't yet know Christ, you need to trust him today. You need to look to him for your salvation. I'm gonna pray for God's blessing on this meal, then we'll have our elders come forward. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to celebrate communion, which we do at Christ's command. We pray that this time will remind us of his work on the cross, his life, his death, his resurrection. Thank you, Lord, for the salvation that we have in Jesus. And Father, we ask that you will strengthen our faith and encourage us because of this meal. We pray this in Jesus' name and by your Holy Spirit, amen. So, The body of Christ for you. Lord Jesus took bread and he broke it. He said, this is my body broken for you. Take and eat. Lord Jesus took a cup and he said, this is my blood poured out for you, take and drink. All God's people said, amen. Let's stand and sing verses three and four of 650. Amen, you can be seated. Moses writes in Deuteronomy 16, 17, he says, every man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. Let's ask the Lord to bless our collection this morning. Father, it's a great privilege and an honor to bring before you our tithes and our offerings. We ask that you would use our tithes and our offerings, our collection this morning for your purposes here at Redeemer PCA. And this we ask in Jesus' name, amen. Will our ushers please come forward? Amen. Well, there's no place I'd rather be than with the Lord's people in the Lord's house on the Lord's day. Amen. Don't forget our prayer service tonight at 5 p.m. Our benediction comes from Philippians 4, 7. Paul says, may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen and amen. You're dismissed. Go in peace.