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Speaker 1Amen. Good morning. How are y'all this morning? Good. Are you alright?
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We're we're a little bit heavy on one side here this morning, aren't we? Would y'all stand with me? We'll try to sing some of those folks in from the vestibule. Alright? Would you?
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Stan, we're gonna sing first of all, hymn number three twenty nine. Three twenty nine, he's right on time. We just finished the spiel about the coffee. I'm just kidding. There's power in the blood.
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Hymn number three twenty nine.
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Speaker 2Right in on the word. Right off the range. Good job. Would you be free from your burden of sin there's power in the blood power in the blood would you or evil a victory win there's wonderful power in the blood there is power power wonder working power in the blood of the lamb there is power power wonder working power in the precious blood of the lamb. Would you be free from your passion and pride?
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There's power in the blood, power in the blood, come for a cleansing to Calvary's time there's wonderful power in the blood there is power power wonder working power in the blood would you be whiter much whiter than snow there's power in the blood power in the blood since saints are lost in its life giving flow there's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the lamb. There is power, there's power in the blood power in the blood would you let's pray thee his praises to sing there's wonderful power power in the precious blood of the lamb
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Speaker 1Amen. That's speaking of, let's go ahead on and sing, are you washed in the blood? It's right across the page. Let's go
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Speaker 2ahead on. Yeah, let's do it. That's summer stuff right there. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power are you washed in the blood of the lamb
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Speaker 1are you fully trusting in his grace this
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Speaker 2hour are you washed in the blood
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Speaker 1the
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Speaker 2are you washed in the blood in the soul cleansing blood of the lamb are your garments spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood Are you washed lamb? Are
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Speaker 1in the blood of
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Speaker 2you washed Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? When the bridegroom cometh, will your rose be white? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?
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Will your soul be ready for the mansion's bright? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? In the blood of the lamb? Lay aside your garments that are stained with sin and be washed in the blood of the lamb. There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean or be washed in the blood of the lamb.
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Here we go. Are you washed in the blood of the In the soul cleansing blood of the lamb are your garments spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood of the lamb I appreciate that.
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Speaker 1Sing the melody for let me sing that every once in while. Y'all going to have a seat. We have a few announcements this morning. One of them is Monday nights at first B. It's happening tomorrow night.
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That's Monday night. 06:00 in the evening down the hall. Carl is starting a new series. He has been on songs and Psalms and for worship leader to study all summer long. Songs and Psalms.
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It's been refreshing for him and really good for us but he is filled to the brim and has undertaken to do a new study and it was on my mind until I said that. What is it? The power of word, power of words. You have the ability to bless or to curse. By what you say, you really do have a lot of power in the words.
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You tell yourself a lot of stories and a lot of lies and you tell other people things that make a difference. So, power of words. Thank you very much for remembering that. It just left me. That ought to be good.
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Tomorrow night, Monday night, 06:00, meal, music, and a message, and it says the meal is lasagna. If you want that, come on. If you would like to give to First Bee through Old Bills. So through Old Bills Fun Run, they have agreed to receive donations for First Bee's Local Benevolence Fund along with, you know, you can give to Good Samaritan Mission through Old Bills. You can give to Turning Point through Old Bills.
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You can give to lots of different organizations that way. And what that does is amplify your generosity from if you gave a dollar, it would be a dollar 45 or a dollar 50 before it got to us, which is nice. So if you wanna do that, you can. There's a link on our website and you can just do it on the little fill out the little forms that they have at Old Bills but between now and the first weekend in September is when that happens. Culture Bay Campout next.
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This is coming Friday and Saturday night. So, twenty third and twenty fourth, not the twenty second. Friday and Saturday night this week. I hear that Friday night is gonna be nacho night, taco night, and then Saturday night's gonna be more of a potluck type thing. We'll we'll handle meats, but if you wanna bring sides, that would be wonderful.
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Culture Bay group site, excuse me, number six which is good for about a 100 people and we're hoping that we will get about that many to come up. They'll be, we will be doing, I will be doing some of the worship in the evenings and in the mornings, Friday evening and Saturday morning, and then they'll do a little bit of a church service up there on Sunday morning and I'll be here. I'm not gonna be there during that. I don't actually sleep outside. I think that's why we build houses.
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But I will be up there a lot of the time. I just won't be spending the night up there. So, that's just Tanya and I made a promise a long time ago never to do that again. Alright If you're looking for an opportunity to spread the gospel, to share the gospel with kids, Awana is that place that you can do that. It kicks off September 9.
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So when the kids go back to school, this is the time for Awana to start back up. Dan and Nancy Tolleson. Dan's a commander. Nancy is right there with him, and they are leading Awana this year and we have another y'all know we have Cubbies and Cubbies are from about three or four years old up through five and then there's the Sparkies that are five through a certain bit and then there's Truth and Trainers, which is like third grade through fifth grade. We also now have a group called the Puggles.
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The Puggles are little ones, little bitty ones. So it's a nursery type program, ages two to three officially, but we're trying to be a blessing to the whole community for kids to be able to come and enjoy this, but it'll be less memorization for a two or three year old and more singing songs than eating, I would imagine. So puggles, big truths for kids to know that we love them. That's the main purpose. Connect hour between services happen.
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If you feel like you're getting disconnected from those folks that come to the first service, you can come a little early and see some of em and I feel like there's another there's another announcement. Didn't make it to the slides but community Bible study is starting up. They're offering two six week options. Wednesday morning class from nine to 11:30 or Thursday evening class from six to eight. They'll start September 25.
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So, that's after school starts and after the routine settles a bit. September twenty fifth and twenty sixth is the beginning of that. It's a six week study of Galatians which ought to be a lot of good. It's community Bible study. Y'all know a bit about that.
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Is there anything else I forgot? Crystal, yes. Next week for the kids? Okay. So, y'all have been, you've been presenting missionaries and missions opportunities for kids all summer long and next week, you're going to take up an offering to send to missionaries.
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Thank you very much, Crystal. I appreciate that and that is it. I think. If I forgot something, it'll be in your paper bulletin though and you can read it. You can expect you can look into that.
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Would you stand with me, Blake? There's no telling what's going to come up on that screen. Greet one another. Y'all can greet one another with a handshake. You don't have to greet them with a holy kiss, but hey, it is scripture.
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So, alright. Amen. Alright. Victory in Jesus. We're going to do the optional ending.
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If you want to look it up, hymn number three fifty three.
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Speaker 2Hymn number
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Speaker 1three fifty three. Big option.
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Speaker 2With the big optional ending. There we go. I heard an old, old story of how a savior came from glory, how he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. I heard about his groaning of his precious bloods atoning when I repented of my sins and won the victory. Oh, in Jesus, my savior forever.
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He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood he loved me victory beneath the cleansing flood. I heard about his healing, all his cleansing power revealing, how he made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see and then I cried dear Jesus come and heal my broken spirit and somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory oh victory in Jesus my savior forever he sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood he loved me and all my love is to him he comes me to victory beneath the cleansing flood I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory and I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea about the angels singing and the old redemption story and some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory yes sir Right a bit, Harry. Victory in Jesus, my savior forever. He sought me and bought me with his
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Speaker 1Amen. Amen. There is a redeemer. This week, that was a special request actually. Was a special request this week.
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So, we added that one to it but I didn't want to skip this one because we were doing another. There's a redeemer. So, oh Keith Green song. Really good. Hymn number three zero eight.
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There is a redeemer. Amen.
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Speaker 2There is a redeemer Jesus God's own
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Speaker 1There is another one. Sing it and I'll sing it. How about y'all? Just listen on this one. Unless you know it.
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Speaker 2Three zero eight. When I stand in glory, I will see his face. There I'll serve my king forever in that holy place thank you you
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Speaker 1Thank you. Worthy of worship. There is a redeemer and he is worthy of worship. Amen.
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Speaker 2You are worthy savior sustainer you are worthy worthy of worship
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Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat while the frontline team comes forward and I'll ask actually Florine and Armond if y'all would come forward too. We got a little trio with operatory today. God, would you, lord, we pray that you'd bless our offerings, lord, whether it be conversation that is devoted to you and your worship with friends, with family, with insiders, with outsiders, whether it be an encouragement that we can give with our words or whether it be a giving back of a portion of what you've given to us, lord. Saying that we trust you and we trust you to do your will and your way. Through this body.
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Lord, that you would grow your kingdom. Through your plan A that we will be your witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts. Lord, would you spread your good gospel worldwide from this place, lord, in our goings, and our coming back. In Jesus name, I pray that you'd bless the gift and the giver. You'd multiply to do your kingdom work.
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Amen.
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Speaker 3I'm thankful that we are here gathering and worshiping in the name of Jesus. Amen. Jake, I wish you would be singing with us. If I knew you were here, you you can always come up front and sing. Jake and Julian, soon they will be moving, so he sings beautiful.
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Let's try it again.
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Speaker 1That's fun. Thank you. Thank you, Frenchie. Lorraine. Oh my goodness.
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If y'all are just joining us here, we have had a head start on you. For the last six and a half years, we've been going through the Bible in order. The New Testament. So, we're up to Hebrews three seven through 19 and it's a blessing for me to know what's coming next week. I have blank canvas syndrome.
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I I grew up in in did a lot of art early earlier days and I was an art major way back and the hardest thing for me is decide what I'm gonna paint. It's not as hard as painting the painting. It's decide what you're gonna paint. So for me to know this week, the canvas is this, God's word, Three seven through 19. This is this is the subject matter and I'm going to paint as close a realistic picture of what it says as I can.
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So, last week, we went through one through six. We're we're doing this in order. This book was written first century to Christians or those who profess Christ, those who profess to believe in Christ as the Messiah that had been forecast by the Old Testament looking forward to its to the Hebrews and so this book was written by someone who was interested in keeping people from going back into what they had known previously. So I'm going to go back just quickly and cover the main points of last week's lesson. It's a quick review.
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Hopefully, it'll be quick. Therefore, holy brethren, holy brothers and sisters, if it's not limited by context, brethren is brothers and sisters. Holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider, carefully consider, Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, apostle is a role messenger from God, high priest is one. I said last week, apostle is one who sent from God and high priest is one who from the ground up is reaching out for us, mediator between us and God the father. So, therefore, holy ones, brothers and sisters, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider carefully Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus and then closes it off with the name so that we don't have any doubt about who it is and the verb is at the center of these two, holy or brethren holy.
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Brothers and sisters that are holy. You're made holy by Jesus. Partakers of a calling that's heavenly. Made by the one who is sent from heaven. He left the glories of heaven, came and humbled himself being found as a man was obedient, obedient unto death even the death of the cross so that he could be the high priest of our confession, Jesus.
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Consider that. Now, the word for consider there is this, if you care about grammar is the aorist active imperative, second person plural from okay? If you care, it matters. It is a it is an imperative to all of y'all who are partakers of the heavenly calling, our holy brothers and sisters. It is to Christians.
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To carefully consider. So, we might have said, well, consider Jesus. We share that with people when we are evangelizing. We share to consider Jesus. No, keep on considering Jesus every day.
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Keep on considering his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his session, all of that. Properly, it is to think from up to down. All the way through to a conclusion. The emphasis is on carefully considering all the way through to where you come out the other side resolved and resolute and that is a good good word to know. Metanoeo is to turn from the way that you had been going and repent.
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Katanoeo is to study it all the way through to a conclusion, to consider exactly and attentively and decisively to come down squarely knowing where you come down, to concentrate by fixing one's thinking. I've got my mind set on the things above. I've got my mind set on you, Jesus. Concentrate by fixing one's thinking in order to perceive clearly the way forward. When the writer of Hebrews wrote this, the people that had gone into Christ or had started this journey with Christ were being tempted because it was a persecuted path to follow Christ in the first century.
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At 67, I mean, there's always been already been the burning of Rome blamed on the Christians. There's a distinct persecution that is happening and it was not as bad to be Jewish as it was to be Christian and so there were folks who are trying to kind of split the camps here or bridge the camps and they're saying, come on back into this. We don't get punished for this, not as bad. Anyway, as when we will say that there's no king except for Christ. Put down Caesar.
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Come on and we just kind of go along to get along. Come on back here. Your family is here anyway. You know these rules. It's easier to hit what you can aim at.
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They had started to experience that there was freedom in Christ from from something they've been enslaved to and the writer of Hebrews is saying, carefully consider this all the way through to know and resolve to go forward consider Jesus with Jesus. So to a conclusion, decisively the way forward, kata no esete is an imperative. It's a command and expresses, you be thinking decisively to a definite and clear resolution. Resolve yourselves. So, the verbs at the center there, brethren, holy, partakers of a call in heavenly, carefully consider or might say, decisively consider this apostle, this high priest of our confession, Jesus.
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Concentrate effort on putting your faith and your belief in him. With every every ounce of faith that God gives, you give it to Jesus. You put it in Christ. We'll go forward in the text. Three one, we've only made it through three one right now.
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We're going seven to 19. Three one two says this, he was faithful to God who appointed him as Moses also was in all of God's house. So, Jesus, consider the apostle and high priest of our concession. Jesus was faithful to God. Actually, God could change it to father.
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Jesus was faithful to the father who appointed him, Jesus. As Moses also was in all the father's house. So, Moses was faithful and that's what the author of Hebrews says. He does not ever put down Moses in this section, not at all, not at all but he does elevate Christ above him and we'll see that in the next section. For he, Jesus, has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses.
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I don't have to tell you what glory is. We are sports saturated society. When somebody's got the gold, that's better than the silver and that's better than the bronze. To be on the podium at all is better than not being on the podium but Jesus is worthy of way more glory than Moses but just so much as the builder of a house has more honor than the house. What he's saying is, Jesus is the builder of the house.
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For every house is built by someone but the builder of all things is God. Jesus is equated to the builder of the house and Moses is a part of the house. He goes on to say, now, Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant. Moses was a faithful servant. Specifically, it says, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later.
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So, the things that happened to Moses and the things that were recorded in the Old Testament in that time period were examples for us to follow. Paul says that in Corinthians, we'll get to it in a little bit. Now, Moses was faithful in all of God's house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later. There were types that were played out among Israel that would be helpful in the instruction of those who would put their faith in Christ but Christ was faithful as a son. Moses was faithful as a servant.
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Christ was faithful as a son. He had all the rights of the house over his house. Says, whose house we are? We are a part of the house just like Moses was a part of the house. Whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
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Our hope is in you lord. Our hope is in Jesus and we holding fast to that firm until the end shows that we are his house. We are part of his house. Just like Moses was a part of his house. Whose house we are?
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If we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Now, verse 14, I'm going fast forward for just a second because this if is a strong one and there's a parallel sentence. Verse 14 says, like this, fast forward for just a second to that. For we have become. So, that's a different tense verb.
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This is a good accurate English reading of it. For we have become partakers of Christ and therefore, holy brethren and therefore, partakers of a heavenly calling. We have become partakers of Christ. If we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. This is a charge to persevere, to keep on going forward with faith in Christ.
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We'll get to verse 14 in a few minutes and I'll come back to verse six and hopefully draw a few more parallels that I hope will be helpful. So, three seven through 19, we can just start off with the basis of Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. Okay. Seven points and six verses last week said that was true. Hebrews three seven through 19 kind of compares the followers and it holds up the followers of Moses, the wilderness wanderings, right?
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It holds those folks up and he's speaking to folks who are supposed to be followers of Christ. Okay. Everybody yawn if you would. Y'all look like you need oxygen bad. Maybe it's just me.
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Are y'all alright? You want to stretch for a minute? Okay. Okay. We're, it's a whirlwind.
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It is a whirlwind right here, alright? Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, oh, praise God. The writer of Hebrews attributes this Old Testament quote that they're about to use to the Holy Spirit. This is beautiful. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit of God says, now the last book for those of you who are studying through are with us or just here with us today, The last book we studied before Hebrews was second Peter.
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It's around the same time period within a year or so probably, I think. So, we have the prophetic word made more sure to which you would do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place Until the day dawns, the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. No prophecy of scripture was ever made by an act of human will but men who are moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. That's expressing the theological concept of the dual authorship of scripture.
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God wrote the Bible. He did it through his servants, obedient servants, vessels. So, second Peter 119 through 21, men above the Holy Spirit spoke from God and Hebrews three seven says, therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, he attributes this to God almighty, Holy Spirit says, but in one chapter, exactly one chapter away, in Hebrews four seven, we're going to see this statement. He again fixes a certain day. It's going to use the same exact quote from Psalm 95.
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He again fixes a certain day today saying through David. Today, saying through David. Now, in 370 attributes it to the Holy Spirit and then four seven, it's attributed to David. It is a Psalm of David. David wrote the Psalm.
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If you're wondering when, I'll get to that in a minute. He again fixes certain day to day, saying through David, after so long a time, just as has been said before, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Now, four seven is a second statement of that. I'm going to say that probably 17 or 18 times today. That little section because that is the point of this passage in a big, big way.
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Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, trust it because God is speaking. Through his servant, David, man after his own heart. Today, if you hear his voice, the voice of God, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me. Who is that? Well, he goes on to say, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, oh, everybody knows about that.
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Where your fathers, the ones who came before you, tried me and by testing me and they saw my works for forty years, Therefore, I was angry with this generation and I said, they always go astray in their heart and they did not know my ways and as I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. What a sad, sad state. You know, it's not a long walk from Israel comparatively speaking. It's not a long walk from Israel and from Egypt to Israel. It's not that far.
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It is in the desert. It's not a fun trip but it's doable in less than forty years. Okay? We see bike groups that come through here that, you know, pedaled from Mexico to Canada. They stopped here night before they're finished and like, that's crazy.
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As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. They were literally waiting for that generation of rebellious ones to die before entering into the promised land. Referencing Psalm 95. Now, Psalm 95 was written by David, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write this. Today, if you would hear his voice, voice of God, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah.
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Wait a minute, Hebrews didn't say Meribah. Actually, Meribah is a a transliteration of a word that means temptation and masa is strife. So, today, if you'd hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the temptation as in the day of strife in the wilderness. When your fathers tested me, they tried me though they had seen my work. For forty years, I loathed that generation that were not trusted.
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And said they are a people who air in their heart and they do not know my ways. Therefore, I swore in my anger that truly they shall not enter into my rest. He did bring them out of slavery. He did bring them out. They were bound for.
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They were headed to the promised land but they resisted and they went back and they wanted to know about why why did you bring us out of here? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? So, Psalm 95 is actually referenced in Exodus one and rather than me paraphrase, I'll just tell you the story from Exodus seventeen one through seven and here it is. Psalm 95 which is quoted by Hebrews three is referencing Exodus and they all knew this because it's the Hebrews but I think we spend a little more time on the New Testament than we do on the old. So, I'm going read
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Speaker 3you the Old Testament story.
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Speaker 1Exodus 17, then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of sin or zen. Sin is pretty aptly named. According to the command of the Lord and they camped at Rephidim and there was no water for the people to drink. It's a desert. Therefore, the people quarreled with Moses who was their leader and said, give us water that we may drink and Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me?
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Why do you test the Lord? He knew that he was being faithful and the writer of Hebrews affirms that Moses was being faithful and so to quarrel with that leader is actually to test God but the people thirsted there for water, their circumstances were very difficult. Now, fast forward to the writer of Hebrews, when people are being persecuted for their faith in Christ, their circumstances are difficult. They are being cut off more and more and more and they are not in a comfortable place. These folks weren't either.
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So, it's a brilliant, brilliant analogy to use but the people thirsted there for water and they grumbled against Moses and they said, why now have you brought us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? These folks might be wondering, why in the world did Christ call us out of that? Why is Paul insisting that we be a part of in Christ, in Christ, in Christ. Can't we just do what we used to do and kind of look forward to a Messiah? Can't we just go back and just chill with the folks that we know and love?
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Can't we do that? Why now have you brought us out of that which we know? There was slavery in Egypt. They were slaves in the first century. They were slaves to the law and the hedges that were placed around the law.
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All of those rules. If you're wondering about timeline here, Moses Exodus was about fourteen forty six BC, about. I'm not going to arm wrestle anybody over it, but that's the one that makes the most mathematical sense to me, about 1446. And so this story would have been happening around 1446, 4544, right around there. David as king is ten ten around a thousand BC.
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So David is writing Psalm 95 around a thousand BC and Moses, this is happening around 14 hundreds or so. So that's a long time ago for the first century folks. A thousand years, fifteen hundred years. Let's finish
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Speaker 3that little story from Exodus.
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Speaker 1So Moses, why? Why? Why? They said, have you brought us up from Egypt? Because we were slaves in Egypt.
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And because God spoke and he said, trust me and I did and then, he delivered us. He has shown us his provision and he shown the Egyptians his punishment and y'all have seen this with your own eyes. Why have you brought us out? Because it was a terrible place and there's a better place ahead. And so Moses cried out to the Lord saying, what shall I do to this people?
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A little more and they will stone me And then the Lord said to Moses, remember last week, he said and I spoke with Moses mouth to mouth, not so with my servant Moses, not through dark dark dreams or visions. God is speaking directly with Moses face to face, right? Face to face. And then, the Lord said to Moses, pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand, your staff with which you struck the Nile. Remember that?
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He struck the Nile and it was one of the plagues. He struck the Nile and it cleaned back up again. He showed the power of God with that. It was his authority there. I take and take in your hand, your staff with which you struck the Nile and go and behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb and you shall, in this case, strike the rock.
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You shall strike the rock and the water will come out of it and that the people may drink and Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel and he named the place Masa and Meribah. Masa and Meribah, I mean, temptation and strife. So, he named the place temptation and strife because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel and because they tested the Lord saying, is the Lord among us or not? Isn't that sad? He brought him out of their slavery in Egypt.
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He grew him up under the slavery in Egypt, brought him out of, made a great mighty nation and they're coming out and they immediately start worshiping other gods and having awful, awful idolatry. And then, after he shown him provision after provision after provision and miracle after miracle, Red Sea for crying out loud, gets them across and drowns Pharaoh's army. Is the Lord among us or not? Ain't that the poutiest thing you ever heard in your whole life? A quick aside, that's Exodus 17.
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Exodus 15 is God provides water. Exodus 16 is God provides manna and God provides meat. Each time they're grumbling, they're grumbling and God had provided for him. He knows what they needed and he's providing for their needs and there were those who trust. Actually, Paul says, some of them didn't trust but some of did.
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There's always a remnant. There's always faithful. Okay. Therefore, I don't have enough time to preach this sermon. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.
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Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me. I'm going to give you an example here but today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. If you do, listen, hear the voice of God, and go against it, you harden your heart. If he is pleading with you right now, put down that sin. Trust me.
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Then put down that sin and trust him because if you don't, there's never any guarantee that he will be more present and real and active in your life than he is right now. He swore in his wrath. You see the end of that? That they shall not enter into his wrath. You can get to a point.
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We'll get to verse six and fourteen in a minute. I don't think you're going to lose your salvation but you can get to a point where God's spirit will not be pleading with you and you'll be in a miserable state. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoke me as in the day of trial in the wilderness where your fathers tried me by testing me and saw my works for forty years. Therefore, I was angry with this generation and said, they always go astray in their heart and they did not know my ways. As I swore in my, they shall not enter my rest.
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So, they wander around waiting for those folks to die off and you know, Moses didn't get to go in either. Take care, brother. This is the instructive part after the quote. Take care then, brothers and sisters, that there not be anyone of you, in anyone of you, an evil and unbelieving heart. You know what?
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We start off with an evil heart and unbelief or persistence and unbelief keeps our hearts evil. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart because it is about belief in Jesus. Carefully consider. Carefully consider this Jesus and resolve and put your faith and your trust and your belief in him. God is faithful.
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He is faithful. Take care then, brothers and sisters. This is a stern warning that there not be in any one of you an evil unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God and the living God is Jesus. He had been here and lived life perfectly without sin, gave his life sacrificially for anyone who would what? Believe.
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And for those who put their faith in him, his perfect life well lived, his sacrificial death given as a ransom for many for those who would believe and his resurrection confirms that his ascension and his session. He is the living God. So, do not fall away from the living God to go back to you. Remember God buried Moses, right? God buried Moses.
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He was not resurrected. Jesus is better than Moses by the way. Writer of Hebrews would say. That system was pointing towards the truth of Christ and so, an evil and unbelieving heart falls away from the living God and goes back to whatever it's used to. Today, get to today again but encourage one another.
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Encourage one another. Oh, my favorite. One of my favorite verses. Encourage one another. Build each other up from as long as five but encourage one another day after day as long as it is still called today because we've got today.
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Yesterday is gone and we're not guaranteed tomorrow. So, as long as it's still called today, you can do something. You can do something today. You can't do it yesterday and you can't do it tomorrow. You can do it today while it's still called today.
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You're not guaranteed anything. So, encourage one another day after day. Great tie in with the power of words that Carl will be preaching if the Lord wills and tarries until Monday night. So, first be, right? Happen.
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Encourage one another day after day as long as it's still called today. Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts. Today, why? Why would we encourage one another? In The US these days, we are probably one of the most individualistic nations on the face of the earth at any time.
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Everybody is an individual. We think, well, that's that's my deal. My spirituality is my own deal and you know, I know God and everything but I don't want to bother anybody. Encourage one another day after day to if it's the truth, you live it. If it's the truth, you say it, proclaim it, pronounce it, encourage one another day after day.
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And this is two Christians saying encourage one another in the faith because they're getting plenty of encouragement from the Judaizers or the synagogues saying, come on back in. We'll we'll get over that and we know that you followed after that but that wasn't real. Come on back to this. We know this. This is who we are.
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This is what we do And I'm sure they're getting plenty just like we do today from complete licentiousness. Whatever is fine as long as you're sincere, just go have some fun for crying out loud. Don't be stuck with that old buddy daddy. Encourage one another day after day in the faith as long as it's still called a day. Why?
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So that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Can I get witness? Is sin deceitful? It's always deceitful. It's just a little thing.
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You're pretty good. Look around you. You're better than that guy. Well, who cares if you've got this private little thing of your own? It's no big deal.
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Nobody will ever know anyway. You know what? The 12 steps. I mentioned this a lot but the 12 steps of AA, it's about today. It's about today.
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It's about not drinking today. It's about not going after that today. God's mercies are new every morning. Since your mercies are new every morning, God, I ask you for the grace and the mercy to not be entangled by that deceitful sin today. I'm hearing you say, lay it down and I'm laying it down for today.
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God, I'll pray tomorrow for tomorrow but today, just give me the strength to make it through today, day by day living so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin because if you do, give in to the temptation, it makes it more difficult the next time to resist. Would you agree with? Yeah. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. You harden your heart by listening to the deceitfulness of sin.
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That's why. Four, this is a conclusion drawn from that. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. Oh, do you remember the liberty in Christ that was offered? Whether you grew up in the legalistic ditch and there were so many expectations and rules you could not figure out why and then you met Jesus and he freed you from that or whether you grew up by the deceitfulness of your own sin and it was complete license and then you realize that you were trapped and enslaved to that sin and then Christ offers a light burden.
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Oh, forgiveness, love. We have become partakers if and the if is huge there. If we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. Now, there have been several high profile, I think, fairly high profile Christians in the past few weeks that have announced that they're no longer Christians. They've completely apostatized some of them from worship team and most of them are young people but not all of them and it's been kind of a rash of it.
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It's on social media and everybody is doing it and so they're proclaiming they're no longer Christians and they don't believe any of the stuff that they've been promoting for a while now and that's disconcerting and it's upsetting. It's certainly not encouraging one another day by day more and more. What this scripture says is you have become if you hold fast till the end. I believe that this presents and teaches eternal security. It is you have become a believer, a saint, a holy one, a partaker of the heavenly colleague.
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If you persist and persevere, that does not mean there won't be bumps along the road, but you hold fast the confession of your hope, Jesus. You've carefully considered him and you trust him and you go forth. For we have become partakers of Christ. If we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, it's the perseverance of the saints or eternal security once saved always saved. We got a lot of different ways of saying that.
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There are people who would say, well, can lose that because you had it and then you weren't but I think since we cover both tenses, we are his house if we hold fast our confidence and our boast of our hope until the end, firm until the end. Says, we cannot. We are it and we cannot be other if we continue in. And we have become covers that. We have become and we can have blessed assurance if we are continuing firm until the end.
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You cannot fall away. You never were. For we have become partakers of Christ. If we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. While it is said today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.
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Today, if there's something that God is pleading with not to do, then don't do it. If there's something that God is pleading with you to do, then, do it. There are some things that we know absolutely. If you're harboring unforgiveness in your heart, and you're petting it and you're nurturing it. It's a root of bitterness and you're holding on to it.
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Let it go. Let it go. Today, if you hear God's voice, do not harden your heart. That's a pretty profound warning. As when they provoke me and it's backed up by that story and the story ended pretty harshly, God swore they would not enter his rest.
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It's available today. God's rest is available today. His righteousness is available today. If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts. Now, Imma go back for a second to something Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
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First Corinthians 10 says, now, these things happened as examples for us. These things happen the way back when the Old Testament stuff happened as examples for us specifically the Exodus wandering so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be direct command. Idolaters as some of them were as it is written. The people sat down to eat.
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What were they eating? Manna? Quail provided by God in the middle of the desert and drink. What were they drinking? Water provided by God in the middle of the desert.
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They sat down to eat and drink and they stood up to play to corrals. Nor let us act immorally as some of them did and '23, zero fell in one day nor let us try the Lord, test, tempt, try the Lord as some of them did and they were destroyed by the serpents nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now, these things happen to them as an example. He said that twice so far and they were written for our instruction. That's another way of saying the same thing upon whom the ends of the ages come.
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We're living in the last days, the age of grace, the offer has been made but we can learn from that old covenant and the way that people are, the word and are. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. Be careful lest you fall. This is an urging or an encouraging to continue in the faith. Putting your faith in Christ, carefully considering him, decisively following after him, and not considering going back to that because what do you lose if you lose your faithful and merciful high priest?
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You've got the law that can only condemn. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed that he does not fall. Sin is inherently deceptive and the deceptiveness of sin, the deceitfulness of sin will draw people away from Christ and it could be either ditch. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that which you are able to withstand but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also so that you will be able to endure it. You know what Jesus did?
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Jesus proved that. He was a man. He did live his life in complete submission to the spirit of God and he was able to walk that out and because of his perfect life well lived, his perfect sacrificial death and his imparting of the Holy Spirit to those who believe. He gives enduring grace for our continued sanctification and we will be able to endure it the same way he did which is complete submission to the spirit of God. Therefore, as the spirit says, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.
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For who provoked him when they had heard? Who did? Indeed, did not all of those who came out of Egypt that were led by Moses? No, they did. And with whom was he angry for forty years?
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The ones that were dying off. Was it not with those who sinned? It was. Whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest but to those who were disobedient.
1:00:04
Right here, the writer of Hebrews is saying, y'all in this century, this first century, and everybody will come after you, do not be tempted to go back to that because you lose too much doing that. You're falling away from the living God and you're going back to what was signpost pointing to this. Don't do it. So, we see then that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief. Do you know that you act out what you really believe?
1:00:35
You act out what you really believe. I don't understand why it is human nature, but it is human nature that we act out what we truly believe. So, consider this carefully and decisively all the way through to the end and if you believe and trust in Jesus, submit your will to his spirit and live it out. That's what the writer of Hebrews is saying. Don't allow unbelief to go on till tomorrow.
1:01:09
Cast yourself and entrust yourself to God and the way, the truth, the life that he is ordained. Jesus, carefully consider this Jesus. So, what you believe matters. So, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of this heavenly calling. This is to Christians too.
1:01:27
Decisively consider Jesus and believe. Resolutely, your actions will follow what you truly believe. Decisively consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus. Now, I'm gonna get to this. I did almost have time to preach this.
1:01:49
That's a bit of a downer. This whole thing about the wilderness because when we look back and we examine our lives, we see that our human tendencies are the same human tendencies. We grumble. We've seen God perform over and over and over again but we still tend to grumble and so rather than do that, if we carefully consider and decisively consider and we lean into Christ and we trust him, the first part of Psalm 95 can apply to us rather than the second part of it. So, he gives a positive and then a negative.
1:02:15
Holy Spirit gives a positive than a negative. David gives Holy Spirit powered positive and negative. The positive first part of Psalm 95 is this, oh come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. Actually, that reminds me. Judy, would you come forward and play?
1:02:31
Scott, would you come on up? We're about to sing a song but oh come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to him with Psalms.
1:02:48
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all small G gods in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountain are also his. Uh-oh. I hope I remember it. Here we go. The sea is his for it was he who made it and his hands formed the dry land.
1:03:09
So, come, let us worship and let us bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Amen. That is where we want to live life. So, today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart.
1:03:28
Sing out and praise to God. Don't harden your hearts against him. Amen. Alright, can we sing last one? It's going to be take the name of Jesus with you.
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Carefully consider this. Come on. Hymn number two thirty five. Would you stand with me? We'll sing.
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The altar is always open. If God's voice is in you right now, listen to it and obey. Altar is always open for prayer.
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Speaker 2Take the name of Jesus with you child of sorrow and of woe it will joy and comfort give you take it then wherever you go precious name oh how sweet hope of earth and joy of precious name oh how sweet hope of earth and joy of take the name of Jesus as a shield from every snare if temptations round you breathe that holy name in prayer precious name oh how sweet
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Speaker 1and on the last verse.
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Speaker 2Name of Jesus bowing falling prostrate at his feet Amen.
1:06:27
Speaker 1From benediction today, have a little bit of proverb. It's right after the lean not on in your own understanding but in all your ways, acknowledge him. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take. Consider him carefully to determine the path forward. Persevere in this faith.
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I encourage you. He is the way, the truth, the life. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom or your own opinion. Be careful, lest you fall.
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Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then, you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything that you produce. God, would you superintend and do it lord in our lives. We pray as we bend and bow before Jesus, apostle and high priest of our confession.
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Lord, would you do this in our lives? We surrender our will to you. Amen.
