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Awesome. Welcome, everyone. We're glad you're here >> [music] >> tonight. Um I don't have any announcements for you, but um so we're just going to go straight into some scripture and then we'll pray and jump right into worship. So, why don't we all stand up? I'm going to read in in uh Habakkuk chapter 3. It says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor the fruit be on the vines, and the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, um yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord is my strength. And he makes my feet like the deer's. He makes me tread on my high places." >> [clears throat] >> Um sometimes in life it it can feel like everything is falling apart. Things are dying or hurting or or aching and what the scriptures teach is that if joy is rooted in the source of outcome of of life or situation or circumstance, we will always be disappointed. Because seasons come and go, things change, people change, circumstances change, um but Jesus always remains the same. And so tonight it can sometimes be hard to walk in this into church or or really anywhere, but church it can be hard to walk in when when you you may be carrying the weight of life with upon your shoulders. But tonight, if we look to Jesus, if we see Jesus, and we heed the scriptures that say, "I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will take joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord is my strength, and he makes my feet like the deers, and he makes me tread on high places." In our joy and in our rejoicing and our celebration, um what happens is we we begin to redefine the course of life that is no longer built upon the the outcome of circumstance, it becomes built upon the outcome of the cross, which we know is resurrection life. And so Jesus, tonight we come. And we lift up, we magnify your most holy name. We thank you for the ways that you come, the way that you love us, the way that you care for us. Lord, the way that you breathe upon us, the way that you have paid the highest price for us. Thank you for the victories of your broken body, your spilled out blood and the cross. Thank you that your testimony, it still speaks. >> [music] >> That the wounds in your back, they still heal. The crown of thorns on your head, it still makes whole. >> [music] >> Thank you, Lord, that we are never without you. That you're always faithful, always kind, always generous, always good to us. >> [music] >> And so today we we we turn aside from the circumstances and things of life and we come to remember to behold the Lamb of God. We come to remember the victories of the cross. We come to remember that the testimony, your testimony is greater, it's stronger, it speaks louder. >> [music] >> And that you are so much more than enough for us. And so we give you all of the glory, all of the honor, precious Jesus. And in your most holy name we pray. Amen. >> [music] >> Fix our eyes on you tonight. >> [music] >> Fix our eyes on you tonight. >> [music] >> Fix our >> [music] >> eyes on you tonight. >> [music] >> Fix our >> [music] >> eyes on you tonight. >> [music] >> And oh Lord, [singing] you're beautiful. Your face is all [music and singing] I see. And when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me. And oh Lord, >> [music] >> you're beautiful. [singing] Your face is [music and singing] all I see. And [music] when your eyes are [singing] on this child, [music] your grace abounds to me. >> [music] >> I want to see it tonight. [music and singing] I want to see it tonight. >> [music] >> So I'll fix [singing] my eyes on you. And oh Lord, you're beautiful. [singing] >> [music] >> Your face is [music and singing] all I see. >> [music] >> And when your eyes are on [singing] this child, your grace >> [music and singing] >> abounds to me. >> [music] >> And oh Lord, you're beautiful. >> [singing] >> Your [music] face is all [singing] I see. And [music] when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds >> [music] >> to me. And I want to take your [singing] >> [music] >> word and shine it all around. First [music] help me just to love you. Lord. And when [music] I do it >> [singing] >> well, help me to never seek a crown. For [singing and music] my reward is giving glory to you. And [music] I I [singing] to take >> [music] >> word and shine it all around. First help me [music] just to live in >> [music] >> light. And when I do it well, help me to never >> [singing] >> seek [music] a crown for my [singing] reward is giving glory to you. >> [music] >> And I want to take your word and >> [music] >> shine it all around. First help me just [singing] to [music] live in >> [music] >> light. And when I do it well, help me to >> [singing] >> never seek a crown >> [music] >> for my reward is [singing] giving glory [music] to you. >> [music] >> I was made to give you glory. I was made [music] to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was made >> [music] >> to give you >> [music] >> I was made to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was made to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was made >> [music] >> to give you >> [music] >> And oh Lord, please light the fire. That once >> [music] >> burned bright [singing] and clear. Replace [music] the lamp of my >> [singing] >> first love >> [music] >> that burns with holy fear. [music] And oh [singing] Lord, please [music] light the fire. That once >> [music and singing] >> burned bright and clear. Replace [music and singing] the lamp of my first love that burns with holy >> [music and singing] >> fire. >> Oh. Holy fear. >> [music] >> Oh. >> [music] >> And I want to take [music] your word and [singing] shine it all around. >> [music] >> First help me just [singing] to live it, Lord. And when [music] I do it well, help me to never seek [music] a crown for my reward [singing] is giving glory to you. And I [singing] want to take your word and shine it [music and singing] all around. First help me just >> [music] >> to live it, Lord. And [music and singing] when I do it well, help me to never [music] seek a crown >> [singing] >> for my reward is [music] giving glory to you. For [singing] my reward is giving glory to you. For [music] my reward is [singing] giving glory to you. >> [music] >> For my [singing] reward is giving glory [music] to you. For my reward is giving glory to I was [music] made to give you glory. I was [music] made to give you glory. I was [music] made to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was made to give >> [music] >> you glory. I was made [music] to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was made to give you glory. >> [music] >> I [music] was made to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was made to give you glory. >> [music] >> I was [music] made to give you glory. I was made to give you glory. >> [music] >> And I want to take your word >> [music] >> and shine it all around. First, help me trust to live and [music] when I do it, help [singing] me to never seek a crown, for my reward [music] is giving to you. >> [music] >> And I [singing] want to take your word >> [music] >> and [singing] shine it all around. First, help me just [music] to live it, Lord. And when I do it well, help me to never seek [music] a crown for [singing] my reward is giving glory >> [music] >> to you. >> [singing] >> For my reward is giving glory to you. >> [music] >> For my reward is giving glory to you. >> [music] >> I was made to give you glory. >> [singing] >> I was made [singing] to give you glory. Have the glory, Lord. Have [singing] the glory, Lord. Oh, have [singing] the glory, [music] Lord. Oh, [music] just begin and give him glory. [singing] Give him glory. >> [music] >> Oh, we were made for this one thing. Oh, we were made for this one thing. To give him glory. Oh, to give you glory. >> [music] [singing] [music] >> Like the spirit was moving over the [music and singing] waters, spirit come move over us. Come [music] rest on us. Come rest on [music] us. Like the spirit was moving over the waters, spirit come move over us. Come rest [music] on [singing] us. Come rest on us. >> [music] >> We were made to give you glory, Lord. >> [singing] [music] >> We were made to give you [singing] glory. >> [music] >> Oh, we give you glory. >> [singing] >> Like the spirit was moving [music] over the waters, spirit come move [singing] over us. >> [music] >> Come rest on us. Come rest on us. Like the spirit was moving over [music and singing] the waters, spirit come move over us. Come rest [music] on us. Come rest on [music] us. Like the spirit was moving over the waters, spirit come move over us. Come and rest on [music] us. >> [singing] >> Come and rest on us. >> [music] >> Like the spirit was moving over the waters, spirit come move over us. >> [music] >> Come and rest on us. >> [singing] >> Come and rest on us. >> [music] >> So come down. Spirit, when you move you [music] make my heart pound. When you fill the room, you're here and I know you are moving. I'm here and I know you will fill me. Come [music] down. Spirit, when you move you make my heart pound. When you fill the room, you're here >> [music] >> and I know you are moving. I'm here and I know you will fill me. >> [music] >> Oh, come and fill us. Come and Like the spirit [music] was moving [singing] over the waters, spirit come move over us. Come and rest on >> [music and singing] >> Come and rest on us. Like the spirit was moving over [music] the waters, spirit come move over us. Come and rest [music] on us. Come and rest on us. In fire [music] and wind, come and do it again. Open up the gates, let heaven on in. Come and rest [music] on Come and rest on us. Fire and wind, come [music] and do it again. Open up the gates, let heaven >> [music] >> Come and rest on us. Come and rest on us. So come [music] down. Spirit, when you move, you make my heart pound. pound when you fill the [music] room. You're here and I know you are moving. I'm here and I know you will fill me. [music] Calm down. Spirit, when you move, you make my heart pound when you fill the room. >> [music] >> You're here and I know you are moving. I'm here and [music] I know you will fill me. Oh. I know you'll fill it. Fill the hungry. Fill the desperate. >> [music] >> Oh. Oh. >> [music] >> And Holy Spirit, [singing] come, restore us. You're all we want. You're all we want. Holy [music and singing] Spirit, come, restore us. You're all we want. You're all we want. Holy [music] Spirit, come, restore >> [singing] >> us. You're all we want. >> [music] >> You're all >> [singing] >> we want. Holy Spirit, >> [music] >> come, restore >> [singing] >> us. You're >> [music] >> all we want. Oh, you're all we want. Holy [music] Spirit, come, restore >> [music] >> us. You're You're You're all we want. Holy [music] Spirit, come and rest >> [music] >> on us. You're all we want. You're all we want. >> [music] >> In fire and wind, come and do it again. Open up the gates, let heaven [music] on in. Come and rest on us. Come [music] and rest on us. Fire and wind, come and do it again. Open up the gates, [music] let heaven on in. Come and rest on us. Come [music] and rest on us. Fire and wind, come and do [music] it again. Open up the gates, let heaven on in. Come and rest on us. >> [music] >> Come and rest on us. Fire and wind, come and do it [music] again. Open up the gates, let heaven on in. Come and rest on us. >> [music] >> Come and rest on us. But come down. Spirit, when you move, [music] you make my heart pound. When you fill the room, you're here and I know you are moving. I'm [music] here and I know you will fill me. Spirit, when you move, you make my heart pound. When you fill the room, you're here and I know you [music] are moving. I'm here and I know you will fill me. I know, [music and singing] I know you'll fill the hungry. Oh, you'll fill the desperate. [music] You'll fill the needy. [singing] >> [music] >> Oh, Lord, come hungry. Oh, we come [music] desperate. Oh, we come lonely. >> [music] >> Holy [singing] Spirit, come rest on us. You're [singing] all we want. Oh, you're all we want. Holy [music and singing] Spirit, come rest on us. You're all we want. You're all we want. Holy [singing] Spirit, come rest on us. You're [singing] all we want. You're all we want. Holy [singing] Spirit, come rest >> [singing] >> on us. You're all we want. You're all we want. Oh, we need the [music] Holy Spirit. >> [music] >> Oh, how we need the Holy Spirit, the helper, the >> [music] >> guide. How we need the Holy Spirit. Oh, come fill the hungry. >> [music] >> Come fill the desperate and fill the longing. [music] Come fill the hungry. >> [music] >> Come fill the desperate. Come fill the longing. [music and singing] Oh, how we need you. Come fill the hungry. Come fill [music] the desperate. Come fill the longing. >> [music] >> Come fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill the longing. >> [music] >> Oh, we need you. We need >> [music] >> Come fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill >> [music] [singing] >> Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, come rest >> [music] >> on us. You're all we want. >> [music] >> You're all we Holy Spirit, >> [music] >> come rest on us. You're all we You're all we Holy Spirit, [music] come on us. >> [singing] >> You're all we You're all we >> [music] >> Holy [singing] Spirit, rest [music] on us. You're all we want. >> You're all we want. >> You're all we want. Come fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill the longing. Come fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. [music] Come fill [singing] the lonely. Come fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. [music] Come fill the lonely. >> [music] >> Yes. >> [music] >> We need you, >> [singing] >> Lord. We need you, Lord. We need your presence. [music] We need you, Lord. >> [music] >> We need [singing] you, Lord. We need your presence. [music] We need you, Lord. We need [music] you, Lord. We need your >> [singing] >> presence. We need [singing] you, Lord. We need you, >> [singing] >> Lord. We need your presence. We [music] need you, Lord. We need you, >> [singing] >> Lord. We need your presence. [music] >> [singing] >> We need you, Lord. We need you, >> [music and singing] >> Lord. We need presence. We need [music] you. We need you, [singing] Lord. >> [music] >> We need your presence. >> [music] >> We need [singing] you, Lord. We need you, Lord. >> [music] >> We need [singing] your presence. We [music] need [singing] you, Lord. We need you, Lord. We need your

>> [music and singing] >> presence. Fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come [music] fill the longing. Come fill the [music] hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill the

>> [singing] >> longing. Come fill [music] the hungry. Come fill the desperate. >> [music] >> Come fill the longing. >> [music] >> Come fill the hungry. >> [music] >> Come fill the desperate. Come fill the >> [music] >> longing. We need your presence. >> [music] >> We need you, Lord. We need you, Lord. We need your >> [music] >> presence. We need you, Lord. We need you, Lord. >> [music] >> presence. >> [music] >> We need you. Lord, we need you. >> [music] >> Lord, we need your presence. We need you. Lord, we need you. >> [music] >> Lord, we need your presence. Come fill the hungry. >> [music] >> Come fill the desperate. Come fill the lonely. Come fill the hungry. >> [music] >> Come fill the desperate. Come fill the lonely. Come fill the >> [music] >> hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill [music] the lonely. >> [music] >> Come fill [singing] the hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill the lonely. Come fill the hungry. Come fill the desperate. Come fill the lonely. Come Lord. Oh, how we need your presence. How we need your presence. >> [music] >> Give thanks to the Father for sending his [singing and music] beloved son. Give thanks to the Spirit who keeps revealing [singing] him to us. Give thanks to the Father for sending [singing] his beloved son. And give thanks to the Spirit who keeps revealing [singing] him [music] to us. Give thanks to the Father for sending [singing] his beloved son. Give thanks to the Spirit who keeps revealing [music] him to [singing] us. The lamb who was slain before the foundations. [singing] >> [music] >> Firstborn from the dead, beginning and end. >> [music and singing] >> You will forever be high and exalted, >> [singing] [music] >> seated in majesty, [music] lifted [singing] in worship. >> [music] >> You will forever be high and exalted, >> [music] [singing] >> seated in majesty, lifted in worship. >> [music] >> You will forever be >> [singing] [music] >> Give thanks to the Father for sending [music] his beloved [singing] son. Give thanks to the Spirit [music] who keeps [singing] revealing him to [music] us. Give thanks to [singing] the Father for sending [music] his beloved [singing] son. Give thanks [music] to the spirit who keeps revealing him to [singing] us. >> [music] >> And give thanks to the Father for sending his beloved [music and singing] son. And give thanks to the spirit who keeps revealing [music] [singing] him to us. The lamb who [singing] was slain before the foundation. [music] Firstborn [music] from the dead, [singing] beginning and end. >> [music] >> The lamb [singing] that was slain before the foundation. Firstborn from [music] the dead, beginning and end. >> [music] >> You will forever be high and [singing] exalted. >> [music] >> Seated in majesty, lifted [music] in worship. You will forever [music] be high and [singing] exalted. >> [music] >> Seated in majesty, [singing] lifted [music] in worship. You will forever be [music and singing] forever. >> Oh, exalt. [singing] High and exalt. >> [music] >> High and exalt. >> [music] >> Oh, high and exalt. Jesus, [music] the king. Jesus, the Christ. Jesus, be glorified. Jesus, our lamb. Jesus, [music] our [singing] life. Jesus, be glorified. Jesus, [music] our promise. Jesus, our prize. Jesus, [music] be glorified. Forever be [singing] glorified. [music] And Jesus, [music and singing] the king. Jesus, the Christ. >> [music] >> Jesus, be glorified. Jesus, [singing] our lamb. [music] Jesus, our life. Jesus, [singing] be glorified. >> [music] >> Jesus, the promise. Jesus, [singing] the prize. >> [music] >> Jesus, be glorified. Forever [music] be glorified. [singing] >> [music] >> Oh, Jesus, the [singing] king. Jesus, [music] the Christ. Jesus, be glorified. [singing] Jesus our lamb. >> [music] >> Jesus our light. Jesus be glorified. Jesus [music] the promise. Jesus [singing] the price. Jesus be glorified. >> [music] [singing] >> Forever be glorified. >> [singing] [music] >> For Jesus the king. [singing] Jesus the Christ. Jesus [music] be glorified. Jesus our lamb. >> [music] >> Jesus our light. Jesus be glorified. And Jesus the promise. Jesus [music] the price. Jesus be glorified. Forever [music] be glorified. >> [music] >> Oh, high and exalted. Seated [music] in majesty. [singing] Lifted in worship. [music] Oh, you will forever [music] be high and exalted. >> [music and singing] >> Seated in majesty. Lifted [music] in worship. Oh, you [music] will forever be Jesus the king. [music] Jesus the Christ. Jesus [singing] be glorified. Jesus [music] lamb, Jesus our light. Jesus be glorified. [music] Jesus the promise, Jesus the Christ. Jesus be glorified. [music] Forever be glorified. >> [music] >> Jesus the king, >> [music] >> Jesus the Christ. Jesus be glorified. Jesus our >> [music] >> lamb, Jesus our light. be glorified. [music] Jesus the promise, Jesus the Christ. Jesus be [music] glorified. Forever be glorified. Jesus be glorified. >> [music] >> Forever be glorified. Jesus [music] be glorified. Forever be glorified. [music] >> [music] >> You're high and exalted. Oh, seated in majesty, [music] lifted in worship. >> [music] >> You will forever be high [music] and exalted. Seated in majesty, lifted worship. >> [music] >> You will forever be >> [singing] >> You will forever be You will forever be Seated in [singing] majesty, lifted in worship. You will forever be high [singing] and exalted. [music] Seated [singing] in majesty, lifted in worship. You will forever be High and exalted. High and exalted. [singing] High [singing] and exalted. >> [music] >> High and exalted. High and exa- High and exa- High and exa- >> God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My heart and my flesh they hunger and thirst >> [music] >> for you. God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek [music] you. My heart and my flesh [music] they hunger and thirst for you. In [music] this dry and weary land >> [music] >> I've come to worship. I've come to lift up my hands. God, you are my God. And earnestly I seek you. My heart and my flesh they hunger thirst for [music and singing] you in this dry and weary land. >> [music] >> I've come to worship. [music] I've come to lift [singing] up my hands. I have seen >> [music] >> I have beheld your glory >> [singing] >> and I am awed. For there [music] is none to compare and I long to know you. >> [music and singing] >> And the depths of your love >> [singing] >> that >> [music] >> always leave me tied and time again undone. In you, oh Lord, >> [music] >> will I always rejoice. You are the one who upholds [music] me. In you I will place [singing] my trust. [music] In you, oh Lord, will I always [singing] rejoice. [music] You're the one [music] who upholds [singing] me. In you I will place my trust. [music] in this dry and weary [singing] land. >> [music] >> I've come to worship. >> [music] >> I've come to lift up my [singing] hands. I have [music] seen you. I have beheld [music] your glory and >> [music] >> I am aware. >> [singing] >> For [music] there is none to compare and I long to know you. >> [music] >> And the depths of your love God always leaves me. >> [music] >> Time and time >> [music] >> again I have seen you. I have beheld >> [music] >> your glory and I am aware. For there is none to compare >> [music] >> and I long to know you. And the depths >> [music] >> of your >> [singing] >> love God always leaves me. >> [music] >> Time and time again >> [music] >> I'm undone. Undone. [music] Undone. >> [music] >> Undone >> [singing] >> by your love. Your love [music] brings me love to come [music] and adore. I have to come and adore. To come and adore. Undone by your love. Undone >> [music] >> by your love. Undone >> [music] >> by your love. Only you. Only you, Lord. Your love [music] brings me love to come and adore. I have to come and adore. Undone. Undone by your love. >> [music] >> Only you. It's only you. Only you, Lord. >> [music] >> Only you, Lord. Only you. Only you. Only you. Only you. Lord. nothing else for me. There's nothing else for me. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. Only you, Lord. There's nothing else for me. There's nothing else for me. Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. Only you. >> [music] >> Only you. >> [music] >> All the saints and the angels >> [music] >> cry holy, holy, holy. All the saints and the angels cry holy, holy, holy. All the saints >> [music] >> and the angels cry holy, holy, holy. All the saints and the [music] angels cry holy, holy, [singing] holy. All the saints and the angels cry holy, holy, holy. >> [music] >> All the All the and the angels cry holy, [singing] holy, holy. All the saints and the angels cry holy, holy, holy. All the saints and the [music] angels cry holy, [singing] holy, holy. All the saints and the angels [music] cry holy, holy, holy. They cry holy, holy, holy. >> [music and singing] >> So we cry holy, holy, holy. They cry holy, holy, holy. >> [music] >> So we cry holy, holy, holy. They cry >> [music] >> holy, holy, holy. So we cry holy, holy, [music] holy. >> [singing] >> They cry holy, holy, holy. So we cry holy, holy, holy. >> [music] >> Who is like [music] you, Lord? Who is like you, Lord? Who is like you, Lord? >> [music] >> They cry holy. They cry holy. They cry holy. Jesus. Jesus. >> [music] >> Everything >> [music] >> you are is what I am. >> [music] >> Everything you are is what I am. >> [singing] >> Everything you are is what I am. Everything [music] you are is what I >> [singing] >> am. Everything you are is what I >> [music] >> am. Everything you are is what I >> [music] >> am. >> [singing] >> Everything >> [music] >> you are is what I am. Everything >> [music] >> you are is what I >> [singing] >> am. >> [music] >> Everything you are is what I am. >> [music] >> Everything you are is what I am. Everything you are is what [music] I am. Everything >> [music] >> you are is what I am. Everything [music] you are is >> [music] >> what I everything you are is >> [music] >> what I want. All I dream. >> All I need. >> [music] >> All I long everything. All I dream. All I need. All I long everything. >> [music] >> All I dream. >> [singing] >> All I need. >> [singing] >> All I long everything. You're all I All I dream. All I need. All I long everything. >> Lord. Thank you, God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> [music] >> Thank you, Jesus. Thank you. >> [music] >> Thank you, Lord. Jesus, we thank you that you are You are everything. And in these moments and and seasons of life where >> [music] >> certainly some seem harder than others. We ask, Holy [music] Spirit, please help us to see the Lord rightly. Like we read earlier, that when we don't see the fruit and >> [music] >> when it seems like we haven't seen breakthrough and it feels like we're aching and hurting. I ask, Lord, that you would help us help us to know the joy of our salvation. What it means and looks like to rejoice when when when maybe all other things seem to be failing and falling, what does it look like to rejoice? And be comforted in in who you say that you are. Lord, I I can feel it in the room. There's burdens all all around. There there's heartaches everywhere and and it feels like sometimes we face these these impossible walls, these circumstances that seem and feel impossible. But in moments like this, would you teach us, Lord, to look to the one from where our help comes from? To remember the one from where our help comes from? To see the one who knows end from beginning, the the alpha and omega. Like we sing, God, you're we know this to be true that you're everything that we asked for, >> [music] >> everything we've dreamed of, everything we want, everything we need. And sometimes we grow blind to that reality because life [music] seems so potent. It seems But tonight we come to bow before you and In fact, can I Is it Is it okay if I ask that if you're able let's physically [music] kneel. Let's kneel before the Lord. Lord, tonight we bow and and we remember and we declare the victories of the cross. We remember your testimony, your victory. That you are so much more than enough for us. So we humbly bow. Reveal yourself to us. Fill us with yourself, Lord. Cut our hearts deep. For those who are aching with with broken hearts and disappointment and betrayal. I ask, Lord, that you would you would meet them meet them here. That you would meet them here, Lord, and and remind that you never leave us and you never forsake us. That you are the best father, our best friend. And your promise is that you never leave us. Oh Lord. For those who are hurting in their minds with with fears and anxieties. Some may maybe struggling to sleep at night. Some may be struggling with nightmares and hardships in the night. And today Lord I I thank you. Would you meet them here with with your peace and your >> [music] >> and your gentleness and your rest, God. To find rest in you. To find their Sabbath in you. To find their their peace in you where their mind is still. And all the fears, all the anxieties melt away at the at the presence of the king, the presence of the prince of peace. I pray for those who are who are working through sickness and disease or maybe diagnosis. Or trauma in the body. And we speak [music] to those bodies and we remember Lord that by your stripes they are completely healed. And so I ask would you meet those people here today, Lord. That sickness and disease would go. And diagnosis and anything in the body, any pain, any anything that is not accorded according to your intended design that it would be brought back to normal, brought back to intention and purpose. Thank you, Lord. I pray for those who who are struggling financially, Lord, who've been praying and contending to make ends meet. I pray that you would meet them here today. And there would be provision in the room tonight. Lord, miracles and and signs and wonders. The provision of the good father, of our good, good dad. I pray for those, Lord, who've grown callous and those who've grown cold in heart. Those who've become jaded, disillusioned. Those who feel like they've been disappointed in the faith. I ask God that you would meet them here. You would meet them here, Lord, and and reveal yourself as the one who is constant and consistent, faithful and true. That you would soften hearts. You would bring back to first love. You would awaken to to the light of your spirit. I pray for those who've grown complacent and familiar with your presence, with your spirit. May that complacency thing die here tonight. So, our prayer is meet us here. Certainly, Lord, meet those who maybe though everything is going great and fine and perfect. And we ask that you would meet those as well, Lord. But we ask,

>> [music] >> meet us here. We humble ourselves before you. And we ask, meet us here, Lord. Meet us here. I thank you for every heart here, Lord, every mind. I plead your blood. And I thank you that you are faithful and true. Lead us, Lord, wherever it is you want to go tonight. We are your vessels. We belong to you. This is your meeting. We are your people. So, whatever whatever it is you want to do, we say yes and amen. We give you all of the glory, precious Lord. I give you all of the honor. And in your most holy name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Why don't you find your seats? All right. Okay. Can you hear me? Awesome. Okay. Um We're so glad you're here tonight. Um is there anyone who's here for the very first time? Oh, sweet. Okay. We're glad you're here. We won't make you do anything weird. Matthew, is the pack not working? Okay, I'll just I'll take it off. Um Thank you. Here, just take it. Um Over the last several several weeks, we've been going through uh Exodus 12 and talking through the Passover lamb and I think it's been really sweet and I'm and I love that portion of the scripture. >> [snorts] >> But I and I thought we were going to go there today. I thought that's where we were going to be at today. And we might still get to some of it, but um I feel I feel a little bit of a shift and I I I want to talk in a little bit of a different direction today. Um Because sometimes as sometimes I think congregationally and corporately we go through we go through seasons together where uh we experience sometimes it's these high highs and mountain top experiences and it's really sweet and then other times it almost feels like corporately we can go into seasons where it feels like it's challenging and difficult and and I think where where it really hit me it really struck me um is I I you know, pastoring you kind of hear people's stories and you you kind of you see the stuff going on and the things people are facing in life and then on Tuesday at Bible study I I asked like if if there's anyone walking through through challenges in life that that feel more like heavier than than the usual stuff we face in life. If you're believing for something, a miracle, or just whatever's going on in life and I just asked for a show of hands and I don't know. I I I don't think I'm mistaken when I say about 90% of the people in the room raised their hand. Um of the I don't know, 80 to 100 people in the room, about 90% of them raised their hand that they're they're facing some sort of challenge and and so it really got me to start thinking in uh in a direction and praying and asking the Lord like, you know, I certainly know that the testimony of Jesus is the answer to to everything. Like this is uh he he's not he's not um removed as the answer for special situations or circumstances. He is the one and only at all times. And if we see him rightly, if we see him rightly conflict and hardship in life will certainly al- always uh bring us back to our our need for Jesus and a revelation of Jesus. And so I want to um I want to go into Daniel 3 today. Uh and I I want to start there. And we'll kind of see where it goes. I this is is this is a little bit um Like I said, this isn't where I expected to go today, but I I I feel the Lord on it and and I I hope that we're all we're all encouraged tonight. >> [clears throat] >> So, I'm going to read in a in Daniel chapter 3. Uh this is where King Nebuchadnezzar he he sets up a um a statue of himself and he says that at a certain time of day everyone has to bow to the statue and worship it and then and then um and then they can kind of move on with their day as is. And we all know the story of the uh the fourth man in the fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But I want to I want to highlight some points here and then I I want to unravel it a little bit for what it looks like today walking through walking through some walking through challenges in life um today. So, verse 13 it says "Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So, they brought these men before the king. And Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, 'Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I've set up? Now, if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is God that and who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands? And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. And he will deliver us out of your hand, oh king. But if not, be it known to you, oh king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." And then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order because the king's order was urgent, the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "Oh true, oh king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire. And they are not hurt. The appearance and the appearance of the fourth is like the son is like a son of the gods." And then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace. He declared, "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire, and the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him and set aside the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any God except their own God. And therefore I make a decree, any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other God who is able to rescue in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the provinces in the province of Babylon. Okay. We're all, you know, we're all relatively familiar with the story. You've probably seen the VeggieTales version of it. Um and and certainly we all get excited about Do you think you can come and help help me, please? Certainly we all get excited about uh about the fourth man, you know, the Lord showing up in in the fiery furnace and and it's a it's a beautiful and and sweet story, but I think there's there's a few certain things to note here. The first one being is that uh going to kind of draw almost draw like a parallel a parallel with the scripture and today and and hopefully it'll make sense. I Hopefully it'll make sense once once we get there but when you stand up for what you know is to be true in the kingdom in Jesus and you say yes to him and you begin to pursue pursue him with all of your heart. You know, especially in a like I For those of you who come here you know we we just about never make a deal about the devil or demons or principalities or powers or any of that dark stuff. Not because we're afraid of it but because in light of Jesus in light of Jesus it's really easy to forget that that stuff even exists. Cuz he's he's so he is most powerful most beautiful most wonderful. But it doesn't mean that we all we deny their existence like we know there we know principalities and powers and stuff is there and it's and when you start yielding your life to Jesus and looking more like him and being transformed into his image and likeness and the more you head in that direction the more you begin to provoke King Nebuchadnezzar who desires the worship your worship to be geared in one direction and that's that's towards him. Towards in other words the world the the ways of the world begin to gear your attention try to pull your attention try to pull your affection back to the things that don't matter. It's why it's so easy in life to that when hard things start happening the we start we know when we when we start worrying and we start um even even in some a manner when we start going into spiritual warfare what's really happening is there is an affection that is being poured out upon a problem that has no benefit to you. And it feels natural because the thought is that well, maybe if I give it more attention, if I give the problems and issues and all that stuff more attention, then maybe I can I can somehow muster up an answer for whatever it is that I'm going through. And so life, it begins to demand like King Nebuchadnezzar, it begins to demand that there's there's a form of attention, form of affection that is given towards these things that are now starting to challenge you in in your growth, in your maturity, in your pursuit of Jesus, in your hunger. It starts to try to weary you out and pull you down and discourage you from from whatever it is God is doing. And so all of a sudden, the the king Nebuchadnezzar in life in our lives begins to begins to threaten and be like, well, if you do not bow down to me, if you do not cave to the hardship of your life, then I will I will make it worse. And for most for most unfortunately for most believers in the church, it's like the thought of something getting worse is is um it's an immediate cause to almost like, okay, well, hold on, maybe I've been too extreme. Like maybe for real, I do need to kind of slow down in my extravagance, in my love for Jesus, in my pursuit of him cuz now I'm facing and all of a sudden, the fear thing begins to determine like what is my what is my what is my sold outness look like in Jesus? Do you hear what I'm saying? Does this make sense? And so Nebuchadnezzar, he begins to challenge he begins to challenge Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and he's almost like, okay, you don't want to you don't want to worship me? Well, this is what I'm promising is going to happen to you. I'm going to throw you into the burning furnace. And they and they kind of they respond and they say, "Well, Lord well, king, our Lord God he is able to deliver us from this burning fiery furnace. And he's able to deliver us from your hand. And I love the you know, obviously the faith in it is so profound and deep and beautiful cuz they say, "But even if not, even if he doesn't come through the way that we think he will come through or we think he should come through, may it be known to you, king, that that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. In other words, so he they go they go he they go, "We will not worship." He goes, "Well, then I'm going to throw you in a burning furnace." And they go, "Well, our God is able to deliver us, but even if he doesn't deliver us the way that we think he will or we would want him to, we will still not compromise our values in knowing who our God is. We are not moved. We are not willing to compromise who we are in God and our walk with God because of your threats towards us. And right now, you know, it's I know there's there's many things we are all facing and Oh, no. And there's like it it starts piling up and it feels like man this not only not only am I facing hardship, I'm not facing this fiery furnace. And the temptation becomes like in in a fear of the of the fiery furnace the temptation becomes like well like it's you know the the the instruction here for for Nebuchadnezzar was something along the lines of like when when the when the trumpets blow you worship for a certain amount of time and then and then you're done. Like once the worship is done you're good to continue on with your day. And it feels like well 15 minutes of the day to worship this idol I could just repent apologize after and and it's almost like you begin to rationalize disobedience and a and a leaning in another direction because the furnace seems so scary. It happens all the time obviously in a in a in a different form is like is people experience the challenges of life and then the thought becomes like well well why did God allow this to happen or why did why didn't God do something about it or why and it becomes all these questions of why instead of remembering that on the cross Jesus hung there and that's why you have life to begin with. Principalities, powers, that stuff it will always require the more you grow in Jesus it will always require you to be less extravagant in him. It would all it would always demand that you're not as you're not as determined, you're not as diligent, you're not as self-disciplined. It'll always always demand those things in life and then it'll threaten that if you do more we'll we'll fight back with with more hardship. And so oftentimes in the faith, we can come to the faith thinking like, "Well, if I if I give my life to Jesus, all of a sudden all these things will become easy and I no longer have to I I get to live in in, you know, Disneyland and like I get to live in a perfect life and not realizing that the perfection of life is not found in the in a in a lack of issues or hardships. It's always found in the in the presence of Jesus. And so watch, they they say, "If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. >> [music] >> And he will deliver us out of your hand, O king." So they're like, "He He's able to deliver us from this furnace. He may deliver Excuse me, he he may deliver us from the furnace. He certainly will deliver us from your hand one way or another. But even if it doesn't happen the way that we think it should or the way that we want it to, our God whom we serve, excuse me, but if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." And so they fire back and they're like, "Listen, your threats do not change who we are. Your threats do not change who Jesus is. The circumstances and hardships and challenges of life do not change who Jesus is to us. And therefore, my values, what I know to be true in him and of him will not be determined, will not be moved because of what I'm experiencing or not experiencing in my life." And so he goes, then it says, "Then Nebuchadnezzar, verse 19, then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury. And the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And so then Nebuchadnezzar goes, "Fine. If you're going to be like that, if if you're going to if you're not going to cave into my threat, and in fact you're going to you're going to further demonstrate to me that you do not you do not allow my my threat to change you, I will double down and I'm going to make that thing seven times hotter." For the most part in life, it's you know, when when Jesus is just a religion and church is just attendance, what happens is is is most times we don't even need the the enemy to let us know he's going to turn up the heat. We're ready to kind of like settle in our in a measure of complacency right then and there. And so he goes, "All right, seven times hotter." And then it says, "And they were And so they remained silent." He says, "Seven times hotter." They're like, "Okay, it is it is what it is. Here we go." And the scripture says, "And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because of the king's order, verse 22, because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Okay. First of all, I what I want to what I want to note I want us to keep in mind is that in this moment before they're thrown into the fire, King Nebuchadnezzar has his mighty men bound them. So, they were bound by their clothes. They were kind of tied together so they can't move and and kind of get out of it. And so, these men are tied together. I mean like uh like individually they're tied. They're bound in their in their clothing. And then Nebuchadnezzar sends his men and we oftentimes think that God's sign of protection for them is is demonstrated when the fourth man appears in the fire. And I want to challenge that a little bit. God's protection for them was not demonstrated when when the Lord appeared in the fire. God's protection over them was demonstrated when they stood next to the mighty men and as they stood in front of a furnace that was seven times hotter, the mighty men next to them burned as the men who said no to to bow to an idol remained alive and well. You know, think about it. If you're leading someone into a burning fiery furnace, what you're most likely not doing is walking in front of them. And you're like you are you probably have like a spear or something and you're forcing them in front of you cuz it's so hot. And so, these men were walking in the protection and covering of God. They may have not known it in the moment in the moment, but they were walking in the protection and covering of God before they fell into the fire. Because the closer they got to the fire, they remained alive as the guards who brought them there began to to die and perish. It's easy, you know, it's certainly easy to have faith when um when you see the fourth man in the fire. When you're when Jesus is right there and you're like it's much harder to have faith when you're walking towards a furnace that is seven times hotter and you're wondering [music] is he here is he not? And then things begin to start burning and around you and all of a sudden you realize that I'm able to be thrown into into the into the fire and where other things and other people are perishing somehow I remain I'm remaining I'm st- steadfast and Verse 24 then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. And he declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, oh king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire and they are not hurt and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods. My understanding is that the Lord didn't appear in the fiery furnace to demonstrate his protection over the three men. The Lord appeared as the fourth man in the fire to demonstrate to demonstrate the glory of God with the people who do not give up. Like Nebuchadnezzar would have been would have been just as impressed if the three men are in there and they're not burning and they're not dying and he calls them out and they come out. But the fourth man there wasn't there to impress anyone. The fourth man, the Lord It there to demonstrate that that those who remain faithful in the fire that there's it's not that he's with them. He is always with us and we see that in his protection as they come to the furnace. But it's a demonstrate that there's a glory there's a glory a revelation of the glory of the Lord that is only found in the hottest darkest most broken moment of life. You hear what I'm saying? Does this make sense? Like life throws stuff at all of us and sometimes you go through seasons and you're you feel like you're cruising and it's going well and then other times it just feels like you know, you're like like Whac-A-Mole and you always end up under the hammer and you're like how how are they so good at this game? And so he says there's one among them appearance of the fourth like that is like a son of the gods. And then Nebuchadnezzar now realizing what he had done says come near to the door excuse me came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and he declared Shadrach Meshach and Abednego servants of the most high God come out and come here. And then Shadrach Meshach and Abednego came out from the fire and the satraps satraps and and the perfects the governors and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed their cloaks were not harmed and no smell of fire had come upon them. So watch these men these men were bound before they were thrown into the fire, they were bound together. They were tied into their clothing so that they cannot move. And then what happens is they weren't they weren't delivered from their bondage, so to speak, from their bounding before they stepped into the fire. They were they were relieved of their bondage, of the thing that kept them bound, when they were in the fire, and then the glory of the Lord appeared with them. And all of a sudden, men who were bound, who were supposed to fall in there and not be able to move and burn up, not only were they not burning up, but their the things that bound them loosened, and it says that they began to walk with the Lord. But I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire. You know, for like for me, if I was burning in a furnace and not dying and there's a fourth man appear there, I I probably I don't know, I'd probably be on my knees. I would I would certainly not be pacing back and forth. Or for or or just running towards the exit, but but the fact that they got in the midst of the fire, they became so captivated by the glory of God that they began to walk with God in a burning fiery furnace. And so their their bondage left them in the furnace as the glory of God appeared, and now they're walking with God in the midst of the fire, not burning, nothing's nothing is hurting them. And now the the world, in other words, Nebuchadnezzar, the world calls them out and says, "Hey, come out of there." Cuz they've just observed you walking through fire. And you walk out of the furnace, they walk out of the furnace, and everyone everyone is impressed that that they saw that the fire had no part no power over the bodies, the hair of their [laughter] head of their head was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and there was not even the smell of smoke that had come upon them. In other words, they walked through the fire. They were so determined in seeing and knowing God, maintaining their value, their love for God, that in the midst of them he appears to demonstrate his glory with the people who love him. And then they walked through the fire, and not only did the fire not hurt them, but now the fire changed an entire nation to see the God of Israel as the God above all gods, the king above all kings. And then what happens is as they be as they watch them walk through the fire and come out of there, the scripture says that then the king had promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. In other words, there was promotion that was found when walking in the fire. But in all of the story in in in this in the example that we have in scripture here, the root of it was whom do you have faith in? I said it last week is like, you know, every time the scriptures give us they give us a name for Jesus, there's so many of them. But every time they give us a name for Jesus, it's because each each name is intended to reveal a his character and his nature. Like in Psalm 23 when it says, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I know you're with me." I I I said this last week is you would you would not find any comfort in knowing God is with you if in your understanding the God that you worship is one who punishes, who hates you, who's frustrated with you, who's always annoyed of you cuz you're always making mistakes, and and all of a sudden the God that that should that should you should feel like you have no no fear when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you're even more afraid because now you're like, "Not only am I walking through a valley of shadow, but now if I have stumble and I make a mistake, I get smacked." And this perception, this this misunderstanding or this uh uh incorrect perception of who God is begins to challenge the areas of life that we're in. And so that's where it's like you can you can face hardships sometimes, and you hear that God is good, that he's faithful, but your understanding of goodness and understanding of faithfulness is not according to the scriptures, and therefore you go you we go through hardships and challenges, and we're in fear because the thought is like, "Yes, he's good." We most likely all of us in the room would say God is good. But our understanding of goodness is like, he's not as good as I am good or what I think to be good, and all of a sudden God is being redefined by our experience or by by all sorts of stuff rather than who he says that he is in the cross. It's the same in in the book of Job. I we read uh you know, I I've grown up I rarely ever heard much about the book of Job because it felt like it's a can of worms that you open up, and then like how do you close that thing? Um But I don't think the book of Job is as scary as as as we sometimes think it is. Because the first of all, the book of Job is first and foremost a type and shadow of Jesus. It's a righteous man who paid who paid a price in his innocence and as he maintained faithfulness to the Father, to God, on the other end of it was a reward far greater than what he could have what he had at the beginning. In other words, the the right the reconciliation story of Jesus. But I want to kind of further further jump jump into that or further unravel a little bit is the book of Job is also a demonstration of it what it's teaching us is that there's some promotion in life, there's some increase in life that can only be stepped into through through injustice. And this is what I mean. I'll I'm kind of I'm going to draw an example for you. It's um it's a real-life example. Um there's a there's a kid in 2021, I think, somewhere around there, 2021, 22. And some of you might remember his name was uh his name was Nick Sandman and [music] he was a kid at a Catholic school. He got into a confrontation with with a uh a man and they were talking politics and race and all this stuff and and somebody took a video of him and and they clipped like a let's say like a 10-second version of that video. And they began to post it everywhere and and all these news outlets were posting it and this video was getting like millions and millions and millions of views. And all and in this 10-second clip, he seemed to be like it it made it out to seem that he was he had ill intent, that he was whatever, he was being political in a negative way and I'm just what whatever it is that they came up with. And then he suffered injustice and you know, he was getting death threats and all sorts of stuff was coming his way and people hated him and all this stuff. And then a couple of years goes by and and he pulls out the full video of what of the encounter with that man. And and all of a sudden in the video you see that the 10 seconds that was clipped and posted everywhere was completely out of context and wrong. And so what he began to do is he began to take the video and then he went he would he started to file lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit against some of the biggest news outlets in America, some of them probably around the world. And all of a sudden he started winning lawsuits that were worth like $230 million, $300 million, like just lawsuit after lawsuit he's winning that's worth hundreds of millions of dollars. And this kid who was in a Catholic school like most likely statistically speaking most likely would have never become a billionaire. Through a about a year and a half or 2 years of injustice where getting death threats and people hated him and all sorts of stuff. 2 years of injustice then when justice was served this kid stepped into into a measure of wealth that again statistically speaking most likely he would never have experienced in his lifetime. And it's a this is a really silly example to to bring up but I I think it just it uh it helps it helps tie it together. Job is teaching us the entire book of Job kind of an overview of it is teaching us that there's some promotion in the kingdom, there's some promotion in Jesus that you cannot experience outside of suffering. It's one of the reasons Paul says I long to know him in his suffering, in his agony that my I may also know him in his glory, in his resurrection. >> Jesus could not experience the redemption of humanity without the suffering and agony of the cross. There's some promotion, some some increase that is only available when justice is served on your behalf. And so what happens often times is we start facing injustice when you start when we start facing injustice, the thought becomes it we go into panic mode and almost create injustices of our own to try to fight back with to make something to make something equal. Which is why over and over and over in the scriptures you'll find God say vengeance is mine, do not seek it. Because in God when justice is served, there is always an increase of glory on the other side of it. When justice is served based on what you and I can do or try to get even or vengeance or all that stuff, what happens is that it's a lose-lose situation. Nobody sees the Lord. And so the book of Job is saying, you know, the thought becomes like why did God let Satan up Satan to to to destroy Job's wealth and and his his riches and all that he had? Because at the end of the day when when the initial was destroyed, the greater came forth as a result of the injustice. And so there's probably things in your life that you've asked for before. And then all of a sudden you're like, this is the exact opposite of what I asked for. It's like it's getting harder and I'm getting more poor and I am and I am facing more challenges and difficulties and and I have, you know, whatever all the all this stuff and it feels like it's I prayed for one thing and it's almost like God is working against me for for to and then so the thought becomes all right, he must be trying to teach me a lesson. Another lesson I have to learn. Great. I hate learning lessons and But I don't know if it's if it's lessons that God is trying to teach us in our hardship as much as in our in our experience of injustice we get to partake with of one of the most involve excuse me one of the most vulnerable uh moments of the life of Jesus. Is not the one who is most innocent, most pure, most holy handed over to death so that you and I could be the the reward, the prize that's on the other side of of his injustice. And so these men they they experience the protection of God as the men around them die, they experience the glory of God in the hottest moment of that experience and then when they walk out of it they they they're promoted by King Nebuchadnezzar. And I everything about that feels like it's sideways, like it's it is it is backwards, it doesn't make sense. How is it? How does that make sense except that it's Jesus? The same way that how does it make sense that out of dead wood, out of a cross comes forth eternal life? It It doesn't except for Jesus. And so when you and I, when we take on the understanding, the revelation, the perspective that okay, if I'm walking through hardship in my life, if we're walking through something you're walking through something difficult and I'm facing injustice in my life. Let's trust the Lord when he says vengeance is mine. Let him deal with it. And then what happens on the other side of that thing when justice is served, what the promise always is is that there's promotion and increase on the other side of this thing. Do you hear what I'm saying? Like I'll I'll I'll do I'll do a show of hands just out of curiosity is like and I'm just asking, be transparent, be honest, um open. We're We're not confessing anything. We're just kind of We're just um we're just participating here. Is if you're if you're facing [snorts] something in life that you're like, okay, this seems a bit harder than than some of the hard things that have come into my life before. If you're like, I am this seems like a particularly heavier weighty season of my life where I'm carrying something. Could you raise your hand? Yeah, I mean, a little it's a probably like 80 85 90% of the room. The sad part of it and I and I say this for all of us including myself is because I I you know, my family we're we're walking through stuff too. We're trying to figure stuff out and and just really believe in God. >> [snorts] >> Um the really sad part is that in our moments of of experiences like this, the temptation could be to give Jesus something less because we're giving this other stuff something more. And if anyone is worthy of it all, it's it's certainly Jesus. Right? And so what I want to do tonight, um I want us to turn back to to gratitude for a little bit. And so many of us have something to to be sad over or burdened over, all of us have something to rejoice and celebrate and be thankful for, which is the victory of the cross. And so I I want us to go back into I want us to go back into into worship for a little bit. And and I just want us to lay this stuff lay our affection down at the feet of Jesus. Really pour our oil at his feet and and whatever it is this thing that you're facing is what what you'll find throughout scripture is that every time Israel every time Israel exposed themselves in hardship to the testimony of Jesus, there was always breakthrough there. So for example, like when they when Israel when Israel exposed themselves to the Passover lamb, they were delivered from Pharaoh out of Egypt. When when they were being bitten by snakes for grumbling and complaining against God, they looked at the serpent on the pole, which was a type and shadow of Jesus, meaning Jesus was taking on the curse. He was hanging on the pole. They looked at the at the serpent on the pole and again they were observing the testimony of Jesus and they experienced their healing. And at Jericho we shared the story a lot. At Jericho they walked the walls with the ark of testimony. They walked the testimony of Jesus around the walls of Jericho and then they celebrated and shouted and the walls came crumbling down. Again, when they were exposing darkness to the testimony of Jesus in their lives the darkness would always fall. And it seems like almost every time they right after they seem to face an impossible situation. They're delivered out of Egypt and they're stuck between death and an impossible situation. Pharaoh comes after them and the Red Sea there is stopping them. And so they just experienced some measure of deliverance and then they get caught up again and realize that now they're facing the death of Pharaoh or an an and an impossible situation. And the good news is that we serve the God of the impossible situation. And so I want us I want again we're going to go back to worship here just for a little bit and and I want us to love and to honor Jesus and to serve him with all of our hearts like pour oil at his feet. You know, I'm certainly going to do the same and believing for a breakthrough in in Jesus and but like I don't know about you. I certainly for myself I could I could feel I could feel the weight in the room of of some of the burdens that we're carrying. So I I try to be sensitive. I'm like God and I think that's one of the the why we went in this direction today. He said during worship I just I feel I I can feel the burden in the room that there's there's heartache, there's hurt, there's pain, there's hardship and and as much as I love Exodus 12 and and the Passover, I'm like, okay, we there needs to be a reminder. I felt it from the Lord that there there has to be a reminder that the fire is never on to nothing. In Jesus, fire is never on to nothing. But we want to celebrate Let's We want to celebrate the victory that comes before the fire, in the fire. So, in other words, we celebrate the victory before we're in the fire, we celebrate His victory in the fire, and we will all of us will celebrate the victory after the fire. >> [applause] >> In Exodus 12, I I will touch on it just briefly. >> [snorts] >> In Exodus 12, which is which is where we were going to be today, it says in verse 33, "The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, 'We shall all be dead.'" So, the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in the cloaks of their shoulders. So, watch this. The The unleavened bread was was an instruction from God for them to take the unleavened bread because the day after they the Passover, the day after their deliverance, they were to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is a celebration that is pointing to as a remembrance of their deliverance. And so, God is saying, "Okay, as I am delivering you, as you're walking through the fire, as you're walking outside of Egypt, I want I want you to take with you to carry the substance of joy and celebration with you." And I want you to It's why it talks That's why it randomly and awkwardly brings it up. It says that the people took their dough before it was leaven. In other words, they took the the substance that represented joy, the the substance that that represented their their deliverance and celebration of their deliverance. And God is like, I want to you to make sure you take that with you as you're leaving this land cuz you will celebrate. And so today, in some ways, what I want us to do is is as we're like, okay, we are facing the fiery furnace, we are facing our Egypt, let's make sure we do not forget the unleavened bread, the the representation of our celebration, our gratitude, our rejoicing in Jesus. Because we know that we serve the God of the impossible. So, whether we're walking up to a to a Red Sea or whether we are being bitten by snakes or whether we're the any our enemies are coming against us, only Jesus sets up a table in the in the presence of your enemies and and loves to eat there. Amen. So, why don't we all stand up? Team, why don't you come up? >> [clears throat] >> I I do just I do want to open up, you know, kind of the front space here. If you just if you need a moment just to hand that thing over to Jesus, whatever it is you're working through or and just give it to him in gratitude and and submission, um I want to I want us to do that tonight. >> All my words fall short. I've got nothing [singing] new. How could I express all my gratitude? I could sing [music] [singing] these songs as I often [music] do, but every song must end, and you never do. All my [music and singing] words fall short. I've got nothing new. How could I express all my gratitude? I could sing [music] these songs as I often [singing] do, but every song must end, and you never do. So, I throw [music and singing] up my hands and praise you again and again. Cuz all that I [music and singing] have is a hallelujah. Hallelujah. [singing] >> [music] >> I know [singing] it's not much. I've nothing [music] else before king except [music] for a heart singing hallelujah. >> [singing] [music] >> I've got one response. [singing] I've got [music] just one move. With my arms [music] stretched wide, I will worship you. >> [music] >> I've got one response. [singing] I've got [music] just one move. With my arms [music] stretched wide, I will worship >> [singing] [music] >> So, I throw [singing] my hands and praise you again [music] and again. Cuz all that I have is a hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. And I know it's not much. I've nothing [music] else before king except for a singing hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> [music] >> I'll clap my hands and praise you again >> [music] >> and again. Cuz all that I have is >> [music] >> a heart singing Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> [music] >> And I know it's not much. >> [music] >> I've nothing else but for the king. Except for [music] a heart singing Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. >> [singing and music] >> Woah. >> [singing] >> Hallelujah. [music] Woah. >> [music] >> So, come on my soul. Oh, don't you get [music] shy on me. Lift up your shout. Cuz you've got a lion [singing] inside of those lungs. Get up there and praise [music] the Lord. Come on [music and singing] my soul. Oh, don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. Cuz you've got [music] a lion inside [singing] of those lungs. Get up there and praise the Lord. >> [music] >> Come on my soul. Oh, don't you get [music] shy on me. Lift up your song. Cuz you got a lion >> [music] >> inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. >> [music] >> Oh. Oh. Come on [music] my soul. Oh, don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. >> [music] >> You got a lion inside of those >> [music] >> lungs. Oh. Say, come on my soul. Come on my soul. >> [music] >> Don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. Cuz you got a lion >> [music] >> inside of those lungs. >> [music] >> Come on my soul. Oh, don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. >> [music] >> You got a lion inside of those >> [music] >> lungs. Oh. >> [music] >> So, I throw my hands, praise you again and >> [music] >> again. Cuz all that I have is [singing] hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah. I know it's not much. [music] I'm nothing else before the king. Except for a heart singing hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> [music] >> Hallelujah. >> And worthy you are. >> Worthy you >> [music] >> Worthy you will be forever. >> [music] >> Yahweh. Worthy you And worthy Worthy you will be forever. >> [music] >> Yahweh. Worthy you And worthy Worthy you >> [music] >> will be forever. >> [singing] >> Yahweh. Worthy you Worthy you >> [music] >> Worthy you will be forever. >> [music] >> Yahweh. Worthy you Worthy you >> [music] >> Worthy you will be forever. Worthy you [music] Worthy you Worthy you will be forever. Yahweh. Come [music] on my soul. Don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. Cuz you've got [music] a lion inside of those lungs. Go ahead and praise Oh, come [music] on my my soul. Oh, don't you get on me, and lift up your song. song. Cuz you got a lion >> [music] >> in it. Get up and praise the Lord. >> [music] >> Oh, come on my soul. Oh, [music] don't you get shy on me, and lift up your song. Cuz you got a lion in it. Get up and praise the Lord. >> [music] >> Praise the Lord. Praise [music] the Lord. Praise the Lord with me.

>> [music] >> Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. >> [music] >> Praise the Lord. >> [music] >> So, I'll [music] throw up >> [singing] >> my hands, and praise you again and again. So, all I >> [singing] >> have is [music] a hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> [singing] >> And I know it's not much. >> [music] >> I have nothing else [singing] fit for a king. Except for [music] hearts singing. >> [music and singing] >> All the earth will shout [music] your praise. Our hearts will cry. These bones [music and singing] will sing, "Great >> [singing] [music] >> And all [music and singing] the earth will shout your praise. Our hearts [singing] will cry. These [music] bones will sing, "Great >> [singing] [music] >> All [singing] the earth will shout [music] your praise. Our hearts will cry. These bones [singing] will sing, "Great >> [music and singing] >> And all [music and singing] the earth will shout your praise. Our hearts will cry. [singing] These bones [music] will sing, "Great >> [singing] [music] >> And all the earth will shout your praise. Our [music] hearts will cry. These bones will sing, [singing] "Great are you, Lord. >> [music] >> And all the >> [singing] >> earth will shout your praise. Our hearts [music] will cry. These bones will sing. Great are you, Lord. >> [music] >> And >> [music] >> all the earth will shout your praise. Our hearts will cry. These bones [music] will sing. Great are you, Lord. >> [music] >> Great are you, Lord. And all the earth will shout [music] your praise. Our hearts will cry. These bones will sing. Great are you, >> [music] >> Lord. And all the >> [singing] >> earth will shout your praise. >> [music] >> Our hearts will cry. These bones will sing. Great are you, >> [music] >> Lord. And all the >> [music] >> earth will shout your praise. Our hearts will [music] cry. These bones will sing. Great are you, >> [music] >> Lord. And >> [music] >> this your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise. >> [music] >> We pour out our praise. It's your breath in our lungs. >> [music] >> So, we pour out our praise to you, Lord. It's your breath >> [music] >> in our lungs. So, we pour out our praise. >> [music] >> Pour out our praise. It's your breath in our lungs. [music] So, we pour out our praise to you, Lord. We sing great >> [music] >> We sing [music] great >> [music] >> We sing great We sing [music] great >> [music] >> It's your breath. It's your breath >> [music] >> in our lungs. So, we pour out our praise. Pour out our praise. It's your breath >> [music] >> in our in our lungs. So, [music] we pour out our praise to you, Lord. It's your breath in [music] our lungs. >> [singing] >> So, we pour out our praise. We pour out our praise. It's your breath in our >> [music] >> in our lungs. So, we pour out our praise to you, Lord. >> [music] >> We sing So, I'll throw my >> [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [music and singing] [music] >> So Lord, we we lay all of these things down at your feet. And today we celebrate, Lord, and and we we [music] we thank you. We give Thanksgiving and gratitude. Not necessarily because we've seen our breakthrough yet. But because our confidence in the one who holds us, the one who is the God of the impossible. And so Lord, may we get lost in awe and wonder of who you are. That when the world tries to when the enemy tries to turn the furnace up seven times hotter and things seem to get more difficult, we only find a greater measure of joy because we recognize the glory of the one who is with us. And so strip us of ourselves, God. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. And I pray for every person here who's come in with a challenge that that you would breathe upon their life for grace to flow for an outpouring of your spirit, >> [music] >> a fresh touch of heaven, and the covering of your broken body, your spilled out blood, the cross, and your testimony. I thank you, Lord, for this room, for these people who we get to love you, Lord, even in the midst of hardships, even in the midst of when it feels like it's the last thing we want to do. That you have found for yourself a people here where our gratitude and our worship and our thanksgiving isn't tied to what we have or haven't seen. It's deeply rooted in who you are. So thank you for your faithfulness, God. Thank you for the way that you come. The way that you love us. The way you fight for us, Lord, thank you. And I thank you that there will be a season soon where we'll all gather in this room. And this time we'll do a show of hands for all of those who have seen the faithfulness of God again and again and again. >> [applause] >> We give you all of the glory, all of the honor, and in your name we pray. Amen. Amen. >> [music] >> Just again, just want to encourage [music] you as um the on the other side of injustice is always the justice of God. And the justice of God all is always worth worth waiting for. And so whatever it is you're going through uh the good news that in in all of it is that you're not alone. I'm certainly facing something challenging in my life. And we saw the show of hands. There's plenty of us in the room. So if you thought you were crazy for a little bit, you're in good company. Um and more importantly, we're all in in in the company of Jesus. And so we love you guys. We thank you for being with us tonight. We bless you. Please drive home safely. We'll either see you on Thursday or next Sunday. Um [music] uh so please drive home safely. God bless you. Our prayer team is going to be up here at the front. If you need prayer for anything, we would love to stand with you and contend with you for whatever it is you're believing God for. Our team will be here at the front and uh ready to pray. Otherwise, God bless you. Have a good night.