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Speaker 3Good morning, church family. Will you please stand up and let's worship God. Amen? Let's feel God's presence in this place. Move a little bit to the right, to the left.
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Lift up your hands. Scream hallelujah. Amen. Do whatever you want, but find yourself in God's presence. Amen?
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Amen.
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Speaker 2For those who gladly choose your life. Come, now is the time to ocean. Come. Now is the time to give your heart.
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Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Have a few more a few announcements here this morning. Monday nights at First B is on tomorrow night, 06:00. There'll be meal, music, and a message tomorrow night in the fellowship hall.
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We have, oh, this is actually a new announcement right here. It's new. This, I haven't mentioned it this year, I should say. Old Bills Fun Run. Do you all know what that is?
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Okay. So, first B is one of the registered five zero one C threes that goes through Old Bills Fun Run, the Community Foundation amplifies giving at Old Bills Fun Run. So, if you wanted to do that, you go to the link on the website or you could just do that by by sending a check to the community foundation that says it's for first B. What we use that for is our local benevolence fund. Some places call it a Stevens Fund or a Widow's Fund or a Stevens Fund.
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They're all all different kinds of names for it but what we do is local benevolence. If somebody comes and and is in need of help like a hotel room or a car repair or something like that. It gives us the ability to say yes. So, if you want to do that, you can do that through old bills. It's coming up first weekend in September.
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It's open already to start doing that. First B's camp out is August 20. I think it's the twenty third through the twenty fifth. So, the night of the twenty third, twenty fourth, twenty fifth instead of the twenty second but it is at Coulter Bay Group Site 6. Please do plan on coming up and joining.
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We're going to do some informal worship sessions and morning devotions and evening singing around the campfire I think. It ought to be big time, fun time. So, plan on coming up at least for a while. If you don't want to stay the whole time but twenty third through the twenty fifth, youth group trip is coming up this Friday and Saturday. That's the ninth and tenth of August.
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If you are a youth or you know a youth and you want to go, we will make the space available. Here, jump up here. If you're planning to come, you can sign up in the back. We have permissions back there. Today is kind of that final day to sign up.
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So, see me in the back if you do want to send a middle schooler or or a high schooler. Very good. Alright. Seems like there maybe a few others. Connect hour happens between services.
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So, tenish this morning whenever we close out in here. We'll go in and have coffee and donuts and whatnot in the other room. Get to connect with one another and I think that that's all the announcements I know about. Am I skipping something or missing something? That's everything going forward.
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If it's not, it should be in your bulletin, in the paper bulletin, you get on the way in but last week, we had church at the fair and that was fun. That was a lot of fun. So, thank you all for coming out. The it was an interesting time and what I from what I hear, it was rather distracting but it was a whole lot of fun. It was kind of circus church.
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So, whole lot of fun. My brother always says that the next thing we're going to do this time when we stand up and we greet one another, he always says we ought to play circus music during this portion of the service. Not his favorite part as an introvert. Would you stand and greet one another? And we'll play circus music.
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Oh, gracious. Blake. Oh,
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Speaker 3Lord, my God, when I, an awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hand had made. Let's sing together. Amen?
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Speaker 2O Lord, my God, when I an awesome wonder consider all the roles thy hand had made. I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder thy power throughout
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Speaker 3Amen. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for giving us the privilege to be here. How wonderful is that we... When we gather in your name.
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Please speak to us according to your will. God, you know every person in this room. Would you please touch our hearts in such a way that we can feel your presence? And then our life will be renewed and changed according to your will. Speak to us through the word, through the songs, and let the Holy Spirit dwell in our hearts.
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In Jesus name I pray, amen. Amen. As I was practicing the songs, my little one Melissa came to me. She said, daddy, we haven't been singing open the eyes of my heart in a long time. And this is kind of my my style.
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And because Carl doesn't... Rare when he choose this one. So I said, let's do it, daddy. So, Mellie, please make sure you sing loud.
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Speaker 2Open the eyes of my heart, Open the of heart, lord. Holy I want to see you open the eyes of my heart lord open the eyes of my heart I want to see you. Amen. I want to see you.
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Speaker 3I want to see Jesus.
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Speaker 2Open the eyes of my heart. The eyes of my heart I want to see you I want to see you see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of your glory. Amen. Oh, now you're bowing love as we sing holy holy holy holy holy holy holy I want to see you.
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Speaker 3Amen. Holy. The church sings beautiful. I love to see the church when I did one voice and worshiping God. Amen?
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Holy, holy. Sometimes we we do appreciate the salvation and all that he has done for us and we are very thankful for that. But in the same time, sometimes it's good to be reminded that our God is holy and he requires from us to walk in his ways. Amen? Is it easy?
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No. But the Holy Spirit is in us. He's at work and he dwells in us and he said, Thorin, don't do that. Thorin, stop doing this. Thorin, stop thinking this way.
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So let the Holy Spirit do the work in our lives. Amen? Amen. Oh, this one is amazing. I stand amazing in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.
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And I love when Ryan sings with me on this one.
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Speaker 2Let's sing that one more time.
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Speaker 3Amen to that. When with the ransom and glory his face I have last shall see. To be my joy through the ages to sing of his love for me. Amen to that. What a beautiful promise.
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Amen.
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Speaker 1Would y'all pray with me? Y'all can have a seat too. God, thank you for this morning. We thank you for the beauty of the hour and the privilege it is to sing praise to you lord. I pray that every breath that we breathe in will consider you and your provision and every breath that we breathe out will be in blessing to others.
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So, God. Amen. What you have given, we want to steward well and use well and that includes everything or from our very breath to all the resources you give and at this time where we take up an offering God I pray that you would that you would bless the gift and multiply it and you'd bless the giver lord In Jesus name, we ask you to do your will and your way through every resource that you steward through us. Lord, we want to be a part of. We want to be a part of plan A.
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You work through your obedient servants, those who wait upon the Lord. In Jesus name, we ask you blessing. Amen. Amen.
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Speaker 2There is a redeemer Jesus
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Speaker 3Amen. Praise God.
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Speaker 1Amen. Children's Church is happening downstairs today. Could y'all hear that buzz or rattle? That one? Could y'all hear that?
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Okay. Lightning appears to obstruct church last night. There was quite a quite a few little things this morning. Last week at the fair we we talked through a passage and I felt like I tried to do too much quite honestly I don't usually feel that way here because y'all are super gracious but I felt a little bit nervous there and I was thinking about it this week and I kept thinking about it this week and I'd I'd had a list of songs that I thought y'all would know. You what I mean?
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When I listed the three songs, I had a list and it was like the Gilligan's Island theme song and the Beverly Hillbillies theme song and a bunch of songs that I thought if I mentioned anything, y'all would immediately go there. And then when I got up there, three, well, two different songs came out than I had thought of all week. I had a list of them. I had a list of about 15. I asked Tanya, and she gave me a bunch of them.
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I said, well, how about a country song? It's at the fair. How about Americana song? All these different things. And when I got up there, something else entirely came out.
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The first one surprised me. Really? Yeah. Which song is it you want to hear, right? That's the way it goes.
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But I... Does this thing work, Blake? Probably not. Yeah, it works. Alright.
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So, I started off and I said, if I leave here tomorrow and four, five of y'all just boom, right on it, you know, and afterwards, several people go, I never heard that song before. If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me that song sorry I'm nervous I should be probably this song Freebird is as I started looking over, I've loved it my whole life. I've I remember it from when I was little. I got the album from my uncle. I inherited my musical taste from him and all of his albums, all of his records and there's a redeemer was another one of his favorite songs.
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When he started listening to Christian music, he stopped listening to everything else and he gave em to me because he said they're still good songs, right? I I never had a painful association with that kind of music. I never have but there's a lot of it's hard to call it truth but it it's a lot of our condition in that song, right? Freebird is about somebody who has something and it's relationship. It's been a sweet love, right?
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But these feelings I can't change, I'm leaving you behind. That is a hard, hard song. It was about a promise made that is not being kept because someone needs their freedom. Oh, boy. The next one.
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Let's see how this goes. Somewhere
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Speaker 2over the rainbow.
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Speaker 1Way That's pitiful. Golly. I'm not Judy Garland. Anyway, somewhere over the rainbow. I sat down and learned this on the piano yesterday for about five minutes.
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Somewhere. That's all it took for y'all to know that one. And it was two notes. That's it. It's an octave apart but what else starts that way?
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Somewhere and y'all went over the rainbow. Now, this is a song that is about somebody who doesn't have something that they want. So, the first one is about somebody who has something that they don't want because they want their freedom and this one is about somebody who has family and has all of this stuff but wants to be somewhere else. It's a sense of longing and anxiety even. Now, it's hopeful and then, at the end, it ends with a question, why oh, why can't I?
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You know, and that song was written in 1939 by two Jewish composers. Right when Hitler's invading Poland. All at the beginning of that and within nine years, Israel will have a state again. That's a dream. That's a dreamy dream and it's melancholy in some places but hopeful.
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It changed throughout Judy Garland's life as she sang it over and over and over again. I had not planned on. I don't know where that one came from. I'm not, I don't claim to be a prophet by any stretch but I am someone who proclaims God's word and that one all week long has been pursuing me and then, oh my goodness. I'm going change the settings for this one.
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Sorry. Okay, that's enough of that. Anyway, that one Those three, those three songs were just like all week, it was pursuing me and it's people who have something they don't want or people that don't have something that they do want or somebody just flatly says, I can't get any satisfaction flatly That is Ecclesiastes six. It's Ecclesiastes just about the whole book. I can't get any satisfaction.
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So, this week, last week, I I used those three songs and then I then I worried about it for a while. Then, I embraced it this week but here we go. Those three songs and I did so because I do believe this is true. I I heard somebody years ago that said that when Jesus was on the cross and he said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? We take that as that was he was feeling at exactly that moment.
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Yes, it is true but everybody listening to it knew Psalm 22 and if you start somebody off on somewhere, they immediately go for over the rainbow and they start singing that song and so Jesus saying that leans into the Psalm of the cross which is quoted right here in Hebrews two twelve. I will proclaim your name God to my brethren in the midst of the congregation or assembly. I will sing your praise and that's the Psalm of the cross. So, the writer of Hebrews or writers of Hebrews are calling back to the Psalm on the cross. They are putting a fine point on this is about Jesus.
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This whole book is about Jesus. This whole book and I'm talking Old Testament, New Testament but Hebrews specifically is about Jesus and the superiority of Jesus to all else. The radiance of God's glory, the exact nature of God, exact representation of his nature. Oh, this is about Jesus. Jesus is better than angels.
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Jesus is better than Torah as good as it is. Jesus is better than and we'll get to Moses this week. Psalm 22 is all about Jesus and if you want to just concentrate on something for a little while, this is written about a thousand years before Christ, thousand years before. When crucifixion is not even a type of capital punishment and it gets down to piercing hands and feet. About his thirst which he also called out towards the end of the song.
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He called it out. The Lord has given me a strong warning. This is Isaiah eight. I read this last week. This is how I felt like I did too much.
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I just read it in a hurry and it meant a lot to me and I think it probably would have meant a lot to people who really studied Isaiah but we guilty party here. We study the New Testament a lot more than the Old Testament and so, Isaiah, Isaiah has a message of God's impending judgment and hope. It's judgment, hope, judgment, hope throughout. In the first chapters, it is judgment is coming one through 12 about one through 12 chapters one through 12. Judgment is coming and then it will have hope on the way.
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Now, in his particular time, at his particular time, seven hundreds, BC, he was talking to people who had turned away from God. God's chosen people who had turned away from him. It's old covenant and they turned away from him and then, he's talking about the judgment that's coming and then, he puts out hope, judgement, and hope, judgement, and hope and it's always rely upon God, always turn back to God. The Lord has given me. This is Isaiah speaking, a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.
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I actually am using this in the New Living Translation today. That's the one Carl uses on Monday nights. Nice and easy to understand good modern translation. It is a translation not a paraphrase. The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.
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Isaiah put his trust in God. The religious establishment at his time had turned away from God. They had started seeking after other gods. They were more political than they were godly. It's a word.
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Strong word. The Lord has given me a strong word, a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said and this is what the Lord said, don't call everything a conspiracy. It's not all political. Don't call everything a conspiracy like they do because they're going to keep on doing this.
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And don't live in dread of what frightens them. If you belong to God, you belong to God. Live above the morass. Don't call everything a conspiracy like they do and don't live in dread of what frightens them. The New Testament say, fear, the one who can take your life or fear the one who can take your soul, right?
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Make the Lord of heaven's armies holy in your life. Straight up imperative right there. Make the Lord of heaven's armies holy in your life. Look forward to in the seven hundreds. God is speaking through Isaiah and he's saying, look forward to Messiah to come.
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Now, two thousand years on the backside of the crucifixion. So, we're looking backwards towards this but Isaiah was looking forward to it and all who are saved ultimately because the blood of bulls and goats was never sufficient. Everyone who ever will have been saved will have been saved through the blood of Christ and the blood of Christ alone. Old covenant is impossible to keep but looking forward to Messiah. God's grace.
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Through Jesus. Make the Lord of heaven's armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. Think about the power of almighty God.
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And with the New Testament included. Think about the power of the resurrected Christ. Death cannot hold him down. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you. That is resurrection power.
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He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe. Amen. I I think here of all of the different martyrs, Fox's Book of Martyrs. You know, think of all the different martyrs and their testimony at the stake when they're burned.
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Christ has kept their soul. He's kept them safe but to Israel and to Judah, he will be a stone that makes them that makes people stumble and he'll be a rock that makes them fall. When you get used to old covenant, if I can see it, I can hit it kind of target but you can't. You'd prefer that, right? Rather than walking in holiness trusting and entrusting yourself to God all the time, looking to him.
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You have to have a close relationship to God. He gives forgiveness to sin but if you don't ask for that forgiveness, it it sits and rest and shames you from having a close relationship to God. He says, turn to me. Tremble before me. I will keep you safe.
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I want to have relationship with you and we sometimes just won't allow it because of our own sense of shame. Get that under the blood of Jesus in your own mind and get past it. To Israel and Judah, he'll be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall and for the people of Jerusalem, he'll be a trap and a snare. Remember Jesus standing outside of Jerusalem and just crying up on the hillside. Crying, looking down over Jerusalem and said, oh, how I just wanted to take you in and to gather you under my arms like chicks but you'd have none of it.
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That's sad. He still wants to gather us in, right? Don't let your own sense of shame keep you away from a vibrant and living close relationship with God. Many will stumble and fall and they will they will stumble and fall never to rise again. He's saying that sin will cause people to stumble and not accepting the only provision that God has made means they will not rise again.
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They won't come back from it. They will be snared and captured. Verse 16 of Isaiah eight says, preserve the teaching of God. Hold on to it. Preserve it.
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Keep it pure. Don't add to it. Don't take away from it. Preserve the teaching of God. Entrust his instructions to those who follow me.
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God speaking. He's speaking through Isaiah two. Isaiah, he said, preserve the teaching of God. Preserve it. Hold on to it.
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Don't add to it. Don't take away from it and entrust it to those who truly follow after me. Not to the political nonsense on either side but to those who are seeking after me. Entrust it. The grace of God.
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I will wait for the Lord. To wait right here is like, okay, when's he going to get here? Or it's more like a waiter at a table which is it. I'll wait on the Lord. I will serve him.
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I'll be attentive. We have lot of restaurants in this town. We have a lot of of waiters and waitresses in this town and some are attentive and some are not right? If you are waiting on someone as a waiter or a waitress and you're look, you're paying attention to what it is that they would like for you to do and you're constantly asking em, may I, can I, is there anything that I should do? Would you show me the way?
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And I'll walk in it, right? Now, there is also a component of, yes, it is waiting because it's not done immediately but waiting and serving go hand in hand. Will wait upon the Lord. I'll serve him. He's turned his face away from the descendants of Jacob.
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Old covenant stuff when if you will be my people, I will be your God. There was an if in there and nowadays, with Christ, he says, come on in. Come on in. Come on in. I will wait upon the Lord who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob.
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It's not just about a lineage or a line now. I will put my hope in him. Now, this is I'll put my trust in him. I'll put my hope in him. That's New Living Translation of the same thing.
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This is Hebrews two thirteen. I hit that last week in passing and that is a slightly different write the verse before. I will put my hope in him and then the next verse in Isaiah says, I and the children the Lord has given me, the ones who are following after me. Now, in Isaiah's time, everybody took this to mean Isaiah's actual children. Well, okay.
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He was entrusting this to his children and his children did take it and they did follow after the teachings of God. But when Hebrews uses it and they use it for the Christ saying, I and all of the children that you have given. I and everyone who believes in me, God has given the right to be called children of God. I and the children the Lord has given me. We serve as signs and warnings to Israel from the Lord of heaven's armies.
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We're supposed to put our trust in the Lord of heaven's armies and we're supposed to serve as signs and warnings to Israel from the Lord of heaven's armies who dwells on the temple of Mount Zion. Now, those two verses right there in Hebrews look like this and again, I will put my trust in him and again, behold, I and the children whom God has given me. Jesus kept on entrusting himself. We hit that in first Peter several time. Second Peter, sorry.
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He kept on entrusting himself to God. He did so in obedience all the way unto death but yet he was resurrected and then he's not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters those who put our trust in him and we will rise again. Behold, I and the children whom God has given me. Isaiah eight nineteen. I just read this on the fly last week and I felt like Someone may say to you okay, someone may say to you let's ask the mediums Let's ask the pundits Let's ask the augurs.
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Let's ask those who consult the spirits of the dead. Let's ask them with their whisperings and their mutterings. They will tell us what to do and you might think, that's Nobody actually does that. The horoscopes in the paper every single day. Yeah.
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There have been a lot of readings in this town lately. You know, I mean, and probably throughout the ages, this is eternal truth. There are people who want to control the outcome of what is to come. Someone may say to you, let's ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits. Have you tried that yet?
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You ought to go in. It's fun. See it. With their whisperings and their mutterings, they will tell us what to do but shouldn't people ask God for guidance? He's God.
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He's God almighty. He does speak through his word. He does speak through his people. He does speak through creation. He does speak.
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Shouldn't people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God's instructions and teachings. Go to the law and the testimony. That's what this says.
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Go back and read it. He's already said earlier, the author of Hebrews has already said earlier, we should pay more attention to that which we have already heard, read. Look to God's instructions and teachings, people who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They might sound smart but if they are contradicting his word which will stand forever, they are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another and they'll go about weary and hungry because they're hungry, I can't get no satisfaction.
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They will rage and they will curse their king and their God. Might even have sympathy for the devil. Sorry. Sorry. They'll look to heaven and they'll look down at earth but wherever they look, they'll there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair and they'll be thrown out into the darkness.
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That's a sad, sad state of affairs right there. Look to God's instructions and teachings. That's a straight up imperative too. Nevertheless, oh, this is good. We've been here in judgement, judgement, judgement.
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In Isaiah, when you see a but or a nevertheless, nevertheless, goes right into this. Interesting, Isaiah eight twenty three. Look in your Bible if you see eight twenty two, it just goes straight to nine one. You think, oh, they skipped one. No, no, no, no, no.
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They didn't skip one. Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. Oh, thank you. That's great. It's it's not without hope.
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There is hope coming. The old Jerusalem and the new Jerusalem. He contrast those for 66 book 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah. Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulon and Naftali will be humbled.
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That seems random, doesn't it? Everything else seems pretty general. Actually, both of those songs, Freebird and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I think part of the appeal of those songs is we have all either had something we didn't want or we didn't have something we did want and it's general enough that we can see ourselves in it. This has been pretty general so far.
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Follow God's teaching, tremble before him but then it gets real specific. The land of Zebulon and Naftali will be humbled. So, this is a map of the 12 tribes of Israel and the land that they had. It's a little small up there. So, here's a bigger version.
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If you see that, this northern part up here is Zebulon and Naftali and in chapter one through 12, he's forecasting oncoming onslaught from the Assyrians and he says, Zebulon and Naftali will be humbled. There's Zebulon. There's Naftali. Right there. That is a north entrance basically into Israel.
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Nevertheless, time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. Isaiah eight says, the land of Zebulon and Naphtali will be humbled because the Assyrians are coming folks and they're coming from the North and they are going to stomp a mud hole in Zebulon and Naftali and then, they're going to walk it dry, alright? That's Zebulon Naftali and that's where the Assyrians entered and just decimated the place and his prediction or prophecy was true. It came to pass exactly like he said. In fact, it's so unbelievably pinpoint accurate that there are people that say, he didn't even write it.
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Somebody after the fact had to write it but he wrote it. God was speaking through the prophet. Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go in forever. The land of Zebulon and Naftali will be humbled but oh, I love that. There will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea will be filled with glory.
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Superimposed one map over the other. Some New Testament map over an Old Testament map right there. A little closer, you can see the lands of Zebulon and Naftali and then this. Two stars right there. One of em in Zebulon is Nazareth.
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Jesus's boyhood home where he grew up and then the other one is Capernaum which is where his main basis of operation was right on the Sea Of Galilee. Zebulon and Naftali were absolutely humbled and it proved to the people that Isaiah was a true prophet and he should be someone they listen to. The New Testament writers quote Isaiah more than anybody else. There was no doubt about him from their perspective because he had been accurate. He said, Assyria is going to come in and chop down the tree that is Israel and then the Babylonians are going to come in.
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They're going to burn the stump. Wow. That's judgment but he also says, but there is a root that will grow out of this stump, the root of Netzer, Nazareth. That root is Jesus. In Galilee, of the Gentiles and that's significant too because it's not just for God's chosen people.
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God chose those people to carry his line, his seed, Ancestral roots in David and Jesus was that and then, he did what Israel was supposed to have done all along which was open up. The good news of God to the world. Jesus performed the gospel that all of his people that were the believing remnant. That's what this passage is about and eight, it's about a believing remnant. There are people who will use their religious religiosity for political gain or for power, all of the things that all those songs we're looking for but there is a believing remnant that just sticks with God.
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They're waiting upon him because it is future still but they're also serving him as they wait. Galilee, the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the sea. It will be filled with glory. Was it? It was.
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Jesus filled it with glory. And then, actually, I should say that I said Isaiah eight twenty three, that's the way it's listed in Hebrew Bibles. I don't know why. Nine, one. We we list it differently in our Bibles but eight twenty three was the completing that.
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They didn't have these numbers in there when they were reading. When they started that song of I will put my trust in him, I and the children whom he has given me, they start singing this song. They're not going to stop in between eight and nine. They're going to keep going. In their head, it's not just there is a believing remnant but then, the believing remnant is going forward and the people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
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Oh, is it already Christmas? No, but it's over halfway. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, actually, the literal translation of that is for those who live in a land where death casts a long shadow. A light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel.
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It's not just for this particular little lineage. It's for everyone who believes. You and its people will rejoice and they will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. That's a pretty happy time when you have won the battle, right? For you, will break the yoke of slavery.
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By the way, the New Living Translation does not capitalize names of God. So, the the Ys and the Hs, the Us, and the and Y and U and H and he or him is not going to be capitalizing this version of the Bible. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and you will lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. Isn't that what Jesus did on the cross? Carried the penalty for sin.
50:02
You will break the oppressor's rod just as you did when you destroyed the army of Mideon. The Lord of heaven's armies has been active throughout human history. And beyond. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms blood stained by war will all be burned and they will be fuel for the fire because the battle will come to be over. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, the government will rest on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, actually wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.
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In the last verse, and his government. Now, have we seen this government established on any particular earthly throne? His government and its peace will never end. Have we ever had world peace? As many beauty queens have been working for it.
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We have not even come close. Alright. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. This is speaking of the kingdom of God.
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The kingdom of God. It is something that is future but it is already for those who believe. The passionate commitment of the Lord of heaven's armies. I'd say he had passionate commitment. The passionate commitment of the Lord of heaven's armies will make this happen.
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Amen. So, walking away from this text, I still ran through it in a hurry. There's a lot there. If you read the whole book, I read the book of Isaiah this week trying to get a handle on these things and back and forth, back and forth, judgment and hope, judgment, hope, judgment looms and for those who have not put their place in Christ, it looms heavy. But hope is available through Christ.
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So, for most of y'all who have put your trust in Christ, most of y'all who claim Christ, this book of Hebrews was written to people who claimed faith in Christ but were considering turning away from it for societal pressures, persecution, and like. I want you to just look at the imperatives and we'll go through those one at a time. These are the imperatives from the passages that we've read today. Oh, actually, what time is it? Hebrews three.
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Let's just go over the first verse and so, dear brothers and sisters, who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven. Think carefully about this Jesus. It's the center point of all history. A thousand years before that, he's forecasting it. Seven hundred years before he's forecasting it.
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We're calling back to it. It's the center point of all history. Think carefully about this Jesus. I'm going skip the next few verses, Blake up through six and go to the imperatives at the end. So, the imperatives from today's text are these, make Jesus holy in your life.
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Can we do that? He's our great high priest. Make Jesus holy in your life. He took the punishment that we deserved. Make him holy in your life.
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Set him apart from all else. It's not just a way of thinking. He's Jesus, the Christ, Messiah, anointed one. Lord of heaven's armies. Make Jesus holy in your life.
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He is the one that you should fear. Stand amazed in his presence. We said in the song service, tremble before him. Seek your safety in Christ. He will keep you safe.
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Wait upon the Lord. Put your hope in him. Serve him. Preserve the teaching of God. Entrust his instructions to those who follow you.
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So, if there's someone following you because they've come to you and said, I want to be your, I want you to be my mentor. Then, entrust God's instruction to them. Preserve the teaching, instruct, and entrust his instructions but if you got kids or grandkids, do that for them. Think carefully about this Jesus. Think carefully about it.
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Consider it. Obviously, the writer or writers of Hebrews have thoroughly considered Jesus in light of all of the Old Testament text and bring out something every single, just about every line has a Old Testament reference or illusion. Give him glory. He deserves it. He deserves way more.
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This is actually in those verses we skipped but give him glory. More glory than you give Moses. Keep your courage. Keep your courage and remain confident in your hope in Christ. Not just in some unwavering optimism that is not based on anything but keep your courage and remain confident in your hope in Christ.
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I think that's the last of it. Come on, invite Florine and the band back up. We are not going to play. I can't get no satisfaction. We're going to play I Surrender All.
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Would you stand with us? Contemplate the words of this song and consider whether you're standing before him amazed in his presence, whether you're waiting upon him, whether you're seeking to serve him, whether you are looking to him for your cues on how to live your life. Consider that and then, as you consider it, surrender. Oh, amen.
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Speaker 2Let's sing that one more time.
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Speaker 1For the benediction today, I think this is an optimistic versus a verse of hope for those who are living in the midst of a difficult circumstance. Isaiah 4,031 says, but those who hope in the Lord or wait upon the Lord or put their trust in the Lord. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength and they will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and they will not grow weary. They will walk and they will not be faint.
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Lord, I pray that we would wait upon you this week in both ways. In Jesus name, amen.
