Theme: Pilgrims remember the previous times God has rescued them, testifying of His grace towards them. We confess, “God was amazing in there.”

Remember: God has been on our side. (1-2)

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us…

This hypothetical song confesses a truth: God was on their side.

• Historically for Israel: Egyptians / Philistines / Babylonians
• Church: Persecution from Jew / Rejection from Gentile / Church history / Culture
• Ultimate: The cross — Sin / Death / Shame

Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed us / Chose us / Predestined us / We have redemption / Grace, which He lavished upon us / Obtained an inheritance / Sealed us

You/Me: Salvation / Trials / Pains A song like this is beautiful. It must be reckoned with.

• Tired song: “Why has God done this to me?”
• Beautiful song: “God was there for me!”

Remember: If He hadn’t been, we’d have been overtaken. (3-6)

3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!

Various ways of describing the calamity that would have been theirs.

• Swallowed: Monster big enough to gulp them up with one bite.
• The flood / torrent / raging waters: A flood surge of attack that covered everything.
• Prey to their teeth: Slow chewing up of their lives.

Pilgrims: Every enemy we’ve ever had would have swallowed us up alive.

Remember!

• 1 That God has delivered you (for fear).
• 2 That you needed God’s deliverance (for pride).

Remember: But He broke the snare so we could escape. (7)

7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!

The fowler is trying to trap you!

Colossians 2:13–15 (ESV)—13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

• We were DEAD, but God MADE ALIVE.
• He DISARMED RULERS AND AUTHORITIES.

2 Corinthians 2:14–16 (ESV)—14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

• Led in His victory.

Now we can re-fly.

• Adam to Christ — From Romans 5:12-21
• Justification: Guilt (Adam) vs. Innocence (Christ)
• Life: Zombie Death (Adam) vs. Spiritually Alive (Christ)
• Righteous: Made sinners (Adam) vs. Made righteous to God (Christ)

Go enjoy flight!

• John 8:36 (ESV)—36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
• Romans 6:11 (ESV)—11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Remember: His nature — now — is to help us. (8)

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

God’s very name, His essence, who He is towards us, because of the cross.

• Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)—6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
• So now God is continually on our side — Romans 8:31–32 (ESV)—31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Remember: Let’s sing this song together. (1)

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say—

In this psalm one person started and the others joined in.

• Sing the chorus.
• Contagious song.
• Beautiful song.

1 Peter 1:3–9 (ESV)—3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Born again / Various trials — The big monster and flood was handled just fine, so now we rejoice that He can handle the little ones.